Forever Young
by lovinMaya
Summary: A story about the Marauders' friendship, the people they meet, the challenges they face, and the differences they make along the way. There are sidestories, but it all comes back to what "actually happens."
1. Year One: The Beginning

**A/N:** This is my first fanfiction novel, and I'm really excited to write it. It started off a little bland, and I probably shouldn't have made the mistake of publishing it right away, but now I'm re-editing it and it's coming back a lot better. I hope you enjoy it, and please review!

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><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 1: The Beginning

In the many years that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had been alive, no pair like James Potter and Sirius Black had ever entered the castle. From before they even entered the castle, it seemed, the two were inseparable. In the years to come, their friendship would make history for being the most unique and extraordinary bond Hogwarts had ever seen. Like brothers, the two boys strode into the school, ready to take down any obstacles, to show the school and the world the kind of people they could be, to prove their strength and independence, and succeeded. They walked out, seven years later, almost the same way, and it's said that Professor McGonagall shed a tear or two. Without even taking into consideration how unique the boys themselves were, their family backgrounds made the relationship between the two even more incredible. Both pureblood, from known and respected families, the Potters, for their Gryffindor pride and great anti-Dark Arts work, not to mention jovial personalities and spectacular hospitality, stood at polar ends from the Blacks, who were strict Slytherins, extremely dismissive of and uninterested in the ordeals of others, and paying great respect to all things Dark. In those times, it seemed impossible to consider that two people from such divergent upbringings would be able to even regard each other, let alone become friends. James Potter and Sirius Black certainly proved those thoughts wrong.

The very first time the two boys, at eleven years of age, stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, the conductor swore that he heard sparks flying. Not literally, of course. Just before 11 o'clock that September 1st, two very interesting boys arrived at Kings Cross Station on Platform 9 ¾. James Potter, young, excited, and surrounded by family, was impatiently trying to get away from his mother on one side of the platform. She was hugging him, ignoring his vain attempts at escaping, and when he finally pulled away, she tousled his hair with a laugh. After straightening his glasses and running a hand absently through his hair, James proceeded to lecture his mother childishly on the reasons why mothers should not publicly hug their sons, while Mrs. Potter listening in amusement.

"Mum!" he cried. "Quit it, would you? None of the other mothers are slobbering all over their kids! It's embarrassing!"

"But James, what are we going to do without you? We don't have any other baby boys to turn to for our slobbering. We'll be so bored at home, with only magazines to read and the garden to tend, and no crazy pranks to liven up the day," she teased.

"Stop it, Mum. That doesn't fool me," James said as Mr. Potter approached them. "You still have Cam, and she'll keep you busy. That's for sure," he snickered, looking down at his nine-year-old sister. She was holding Mr. Potter's hand, bouncing up and down, looking absolutely thrilled to be there, as if nothing would give her more joy than to board the train. He knew, though, that his parents would always be busy. Lately, his father's Auror work had involved much more strenuous and demanding work than simply filling out trivial paperwork. While Mr. Potter never showed any of that strain, James could always see it in the new bags that had formed around his eyes and the gray hairs that were slowly showing in his father's dark brown. On the other hand, Mrs. Potter's cheery face never faded, but James knew her new promotion in the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement was giving her plenty of grief. And, even without the heavy burden of work, the Potter family was enormous, more than enough to fill up every spare moment Mr. and Mrs. Potter had.

On top of all that, the Potters spent a good amount of time with their neighbors, the Benedicts, who approached them now at King's Cross. The Benedict couple was slightly younger than Mr. and Mrs. Potter, which could be gathered from the complete lack of wrinkles on Alexandra Benedict's rosy face or, as Mrs. Potter liked to tease her, her "unknowing, naïve eyes." With her came her husband, who held the hand of a girl James's age, and two older boys. The Potters and the Benedicts had become very close friends living next to each other for so many years; the Benedicts had moved into the manor next door around the time the oldest Potter was born, James's brother Harley, almost seventeen years ago. "They come from a good family," Mrs. Potter always said, "especially Al. Her family, the Prewetts, have been promoting anti-Muggle discrimination for decades, you know," to which James would always respond dully, "I know, Mum."

His mother always made a big deal of collaboration between Muggles and wizards, because, James assumed, she dealt with many cruel pranks against Muggles in the Improper Use of Magic Office. She had even made the effort to send all her children to Muggle school for two years before going to Hogwarts, claiming that she "regretted her mother never did that for her." James never really understood her obsession, but he accepted it, for there seemed to be no reason not to.

"Hi there, Maddie," Mrs. Benedict said, nodding and smiling at Mrs. Potter. "Are you ready to let James go?"

Mrs. Potter laughed heartily. "Let him go? I think the appropriate question is, am I glad he's _finally_ leaving?" she teased, ruffling James's hair again and ignoring his protests.

Chuckling politely in response, Mr. Benedict said, "Not to worry, James. Your mother will miss you dearly. Don't lose any sleep over it." James nodded at him tersely, and turned to the Benedict's daughter. Mr. Benedict always made him feel slightly uneasy, perhaps because he always dressed like a posh shop mannequin, complete with choking tie. If those mannequins could talk, they would talk like Mr. Benedict, stiffly and politely. James always wondered how a woman as friendly and comfortable as Mrs. Benedict could possibly enjoy spending her life with someone so boring and formal.

"What's up, Charlie?" James muttered, still casting annoyed glances at his mother.

Wearing a broad smile, Charlotte "Charlie" Benedict nearly jumped in the air with the enthusiasm in her answer, her small brown ponytail bouncing vigorously. "What's UP?" she cried. "What's UP, James Potter? What's up is that we're going to Hogwarts!" She was squealing now, and James covered his ears.

"Stop being such a girl," he mumbled, receiving a solid punch in the arm. "OW!" he yelled, and then grinned sheepishly at Charlie.

"I'm sorry," she said mockingly, "I thought that, being a _girl_, that wouldn't hurt."

He scowled playfully, moving to punch her back, until his parents stopped their oncoming brawl with booming laughter. "Come, now, James, there's no way you can possibly hurt her," Mr. Potter chortled. "We all know what a baby you are." This brought a round of laughter, making the pink in Mrs. Benedict's young face rosier than ever, and even Mr. Benedict offered a smile.

James grumbled quietly under his breath for a moment, to the amusement of all the adults, before finally turning to Charlie and grabbing her arm. "All right, Mum, Dad, I'm leaving." He turned and walked a few paces; his walk had a bounce of anticipation in it. Charlie and her two older brothers followed. Before stepping on the train, he turned to call back. "And I'm NOT a baby!" His parents let out identical shouts of laughter and 'I love you's as they waved as he and Charlie ran up into the train.

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><p>Watching the exchange with mild interest from the other side of the platform stood a young Sirius Black, who didn't have to deal with the embarrassing display of affection from his mother. Rather, after a few, short words, Mrs. Black sent him up on the train.<p>

"Be smart. Don't get cocky with your fellow Slytherins. And don't get too much into their business. We Slytherins prefer to remain private. Now go." It was not an affection dismissal, and it surely did not hold the words "I'll miss you" or "I'll write you" in it. It was an order, and in the Black house, orders were followed without question, and conversations were not to be held. At the moment, however, Sirius was no longer in the Black house.

"Bye, Mother. Bye, Father. I'll write to you often," he replied, earning him a shocked and reproachful stare from Mrs. Black. Sirius hurried to the train, and turned back just in time to see his parents Apparate from the station. He shook his head and muttered, "Typical" to himself, and without a second thought climbed onto the train. Of course, he hadn't expected his parents to wait and wave to him, but as he was leaving for almost the entire year, Sirius had at least hoped they would see him board the train. Always a quiet and caring boy, Sirius had tried on countless occasions to express his affection towards his parents, and failed every time. After he turned nine, Sirius had almost completely accepted that it wasn't in his parents' nature, or anybody's in his family, to be affectionate or emotionally expressive at all. Sometimes, and he kept this a hushed, dark secret, Sirius had sudden urges to yell out and whoop like nothing else. He had felt that way when he had received his Hogwarts letter, and instead of letting his euphoria escape him, he snuck out to the hilltop past the town with his brother Regulus and watched distant fireworks. Although he had no idea what the fireworks were for, they represented quite accurately his inside feelings, and were an excellent outlet.

Now, as he left the Black household, along with the anxiety in his stomach Sirius felt an odd sense of freedom. Perhaps he could remake himself here. Perhaps among the Slytherins and other students his age he would be able to be more like the person he wanted to be, the person he felt inside of him dying to get out. As he stared at the spot on the platform where his parents had been standing, the train began to chug away, and Sirius made a solemn vow that he would have friends at Hogwarts to whom he could reveal his actual self.

Almost every compartment in the train was crammed with enthusiastic first years; Sirius could tell which students were destined for Slytherin from their severe or haughty behavior. Some even wore robes adorned with green, and he recognized that they found themselves too pure for Muggle clothing. Sirius himself was wearing black robes, embroidered with the Black family crest, with trousers and a buttoned up shirt underneath. From day one his family had told him relentlessly of his purity, authority, and honor. Sometimes Sirius felt as though they itched to add the word 'royalty' to their list, but they only ever implied it. Mrs. Walburga Black never failed to remind him that he was better than their neighbors, the Muggle filth that they kept themselves concealed with. Someday, she said proudly, they would uncover themselves to these very neighbors and show them who was superior. The rest of his family believed in these same ideals, and it appeared so did the students in the compartments he was looking at. He knew his mother would want him to enter these compartments, but he still avoided them. Sirius spotted an almost empty one, and without a second thought hurried inside.

The same boy he had been watching earlier, James, was sitting in a lazy fashion across from another boy and a girl who were talking quietly. Sirius plopped himself down next to James.

"Hi," he began.

"Hey," James said. He was fiddling with his shirt, and Sirius smirked.

"Bored?" he asked.

James laughed. "I guess so." He paused for a moment, then looked Sirius directly in the eye and said, "I'm James Potter."

"Sirius Black."

It was the beginning of a beautiful brotherhood.

* * *

><p>Two other first years, a boy and a girl, sat across from James Potter and Sirius Black in their Hogwarts Express compartment. They spoke in hushed tones, sharply contrasting James's and Sirius's raucous laughter and chatting. Although the boys did tease the two, once the boy and girl left the compartment, James started a rant about how breathtakingly amazing she was.<p>

"Wow! Sirius, did you see that? She's…wow. Her hair and her eyes and…wow. Just…wow."

"Better think up some real adjectives if you plan to ask her out, mate."

"What? Ask her _out?_ You mean like a date?"

Sirius shrugged.

"Ew," James continued, "No way, mate. Dating is weird."

Offering a smile, Sirius said, "She's a Muggleborn."

James gave him an odd look. "Yeah, so?"

"Just saying, she is."

"Are you telling me not to date her because she's a Muggleborn?" James sounded almost threatening.

Putting his hands up, Sirius responded, "I didn't say that, Potter. I-I only made a comment." He wasn't looking James in the eye.

"It seemed like more than a comment, _Black_," James hissed. Before Sirius could think up a retort, the compartment door opened, revealing a small girl with a brown ponytail and oversized robes. "Charlie," James said, sounding surprised. Taking in the sight of her, he grinned. "Whose robes are those? Bigfoot's?"

"Bigfoot?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Muggle story," James replied off-handedly. He paused, then said, "Not that _you_ would know anything about those."

The comment stung like a slap in the face. Sirius turned pink, feeling ashamed that he had said anything at all. In his home, the sight of a Muggle-born person would have caused Mrs. Black's upper lip to curl in disgust, and incited whispered insults from his other family. Here, James Potter was acting like simply noting the existence of a Muggleborn was unacceptable, even immoral. Come to think of it, his mother had mentioned the Potters once or twice in the household, along the same line as the Prewetts, as respectable purebloods with straying views. Anytime the Potter name or the Prewett name appeared in the Daily Prophet, Mrs. Black would shake her head and murmur, "Such a shame, losing such noble families."

"James," Charlie chastised. "Why are you being so mean to him? He's obviously upset."

"He was insulting Muggles," James snapped.

"I wasn't!" protested Sirius. "I just—all I did was—was say that that girl was a Muggleborn! I'm sorry if that's rude."

"It wasn't just rude," argued James, shaking his head. "It was horrible! How can you say it like that, that just because she's a Muggleborn means she should be pointed out as _different_. Nobody points to you or me or…or Charlie," he cried out desperately, "just because we're pureblooded. Who knows, she could end up becoming more successful than any of us. It's not blood that makes a wizard—no, a _person_ great, it's their own intelligence, skills, and goodness." He was quoting his mother, with a firm tone, and he crossed his arms to reiterate his determination.

Silently, Sirius pondered the boy's outburst. As he reflected, he remembered vaguely some family members of his who had flunked out of Hogwarts. An aunt had tried to mend the Wizarding law to allow Muggle hunting as a sport. Plenty of people in his family were jobless, though they never had to suffer for it due to the Black family's immense wealth. James's words were true, he realized, blood had little to no importance in every sense.

"I-I'm sorry," Sirius said in a small voice. For a moment he felt more miserable than ever. There was no way he would be able to open up at Hogwarts now. Maybe he had been better off choosing a Slytherin compartment, where at least he would have been accepted.

"It's all right," James replied softly. Sirius looked up immediately, surprised. "Just-just remember that, all right?"

The dark-haired boy nodded, completely shocked that James had accepted him again. Now looking at him laughing with the girl, Charlie, Sirius felt a smile growing inside him. Perhaps the Slytherins would have taken him in gladly, but in his gut he knew these two in this compartment were the people he wanted to accept him.

"What's your name?" Charlie asked him, grinning broadly.

"Sirius Black," he responded, smiling back with almost as much enthusiasm.

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><p>After the delicious feast which many of the students were still buzzing about, James and Sirius were up in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory getting ready for bed. Sirius, nervous about being placed in Gryffindor but delighted to be with his new friend, chattered in a hyper frenzy about his family life. Never before had he spoken so much at a time. Of course, there were many times when he had wanted to, but the chance was never given. His family's mantra was, 'Speak less, listen more,' as they droned on about the differences between Muggles and wizards, Muggleborns and Half-bloods, and the children listened. They never spoke a word of affection; life was all business, no pleasure.<p>

Having only seen the friendly and amicable lifestyle in his home, and partly the same life in the Benedicts' home, James was shocked that any family could be like the one Sirius described. Mrs. Potter had only mentioned the Black family a few times, and every time it had been with a hint of anger and disgust. James knew they were pureblood supremacists, the encounter with Sirius in the compartment had shown that, but he also knew that everybody deserved an even chance, with no biases or prejudices. He had given that to Sirius, and the nervous, wide-eyed boy had ended up the first in his family to be Sorted into Gryffindor.

"No one ever tells jokes? Never?" James asked incredulously.

Sirius shook his head, relieved that James didn't agree with their lifestyle. He didn't know how he would have dealt with a roommate who lived like his family. Once again, he thanked Merlin that he had been placed in Gryffindor.

"And no pranks? No practical jokes?"

"No, mate. Never. It's like living in a giant prison or something. Actually no, Azkaban would be better," Sirius guffawed mirthlessly. He fell silent for a moment, thoughtful. "Well, I suppose they're not all that bad," he said, almost to himself.

It took a while for Sirius to slowly drift off to sleep, his mind was muddled with thoughts of his mother and how disappointed she would be. Rebel though he was, it did give Sirius a slight pang of guilt in his gut to disappoint his family by straying from the path they so strongly emphasized. He tossed and turned for about an hour, until a loud grunt from James startled him, and he pushed his thoughts forcefully aside and let sleep take him.

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><p>The next morning, to the great dismay and anguish of James and Sirius, lessons began. Moping into the Transfiguration hall, they cast their eyes lazily around the room. Sirius's thundery gray fell upon Professor McGonagall, registering her as a stiff, proper old woman. One of his urges overcame him, and he suddenly felt the need to laugh uncontrollably. Whenever Sirius saw an old, stiff-looking man or woman in his family, he had always wanted deeply to play a practical joke on him or her, just to see them squirm. Secretly, he hoped it would make someone, anyone in his family laugh. James's warm hazel, on the other hand, fell upon the girl from the train, in the front row almost bouncing in her seat, her dark red ponytail bouncing along with her. His eyes glazed over, until he started in reaction to Professor McGonagall's piercing voice.<p>

"Are you two planning on joining the lesson anytime soon? We'd prefer this year, you know," she said, pursing her lips.

Sirius grinned. He was at Hogwarts now, away from home. Now was the perfect time to change the person he had been with his family into the person he really was. He was right; McGonagall would make an excellent target. "Of course, Professor," he said in the most sugary voice he could manage, and winked exaggeratedly at her, earning a reproving glare. James looked over at him, slightly surprised. They traipsed to the front of the hall, taking their time and tapping their feet loudly as they walked, and settled into seats in the front row, to James's delight, next to the girl from the train.

In the middle of Professor McGonagall's lecture, James leaned over and whispered, "Hello, I'm James Potter. Do you remember me from the train?"

The girl turned her head, looked at James, and sighed. "Lily Evans," she replied curtly, and turned back to look at Professor McGonagall. James stared at her, fascinated by her rapt attention.

"Aren't you bored?" he asked in awe.

She didn't turn her head this time. "No, and you should pay attention, too. It's an important subject." At this, James looked away, but couldn't focus on the lecture. Amazed by Lily Evans, he stared into space, filling his mind with daydreams. Unfortunately, they were broken sharply.

"…James Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked.

James was caught off guard for a moment, but responded back within a second. "I'm sorry, Professor, could you repeat the question?"

"Were you listening, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall's lips began to thin.

James grinned. "Well, you see, I was trying, but it's very…difficult to pay attention when you're dressed so flawlessly."

The glass snickered, Sirius offered him a high-five under the table, and James turned to smirk at Lily Evans. She didn't meet his eye.

When the class was dismissed, James droned away in Sirius's ear about how amazing Lily was. "Her name is Lily, mate, _Lily_! She's just so…so…" his voice faded.

"Again, mate, adjectives."

Suddenly, James spotted Lily Evans walking some few feet ahead of them. "Oi! Lily! Liked my wit in class?"

She stopped in her tracks, and turned to walk up to the laughing pair. "Transfiguration may lack any significance at all to the both of you imbeciles, but I personally find it intriguing and a very important subject to learn. There is no need to disrespect a professor the way you did, and you disrupted the class in which I could've been learning. In short, no, I did _not_ like your _wit_ in class. See you, Potter," she hissed, and stalked away, leaving James open-mouthed and shocked.

Sirius gave a low whistle. "Well, mate, I guess it's good you didn't waste adjectives on that."


	2. Year One: The Marauders

**Forever Young**

Chapter 2: The Marauders

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><p>For James and Sirius, being together was easy, necessary, and inevitable. It was impossible for one of the two to go anywhere without the other. Most nights, they nestled into the corner by the window in the Gryffindor common room every night and talked animatedly about their lives. Both were so loquacious and enthusiastic that it took very little time for them to learn much about each other. Sirius learned that James was an avid flier. James found that Sirius enjoyed reading fiction stories.<p>

"…but textbooks?" Sirius laughed. "Never!"

James realized that Sirius's favorite dessert at Hogwarts was the pumpkin pie, so whenever he saw that Sirius was too quiet, he saved him a piece. And whenever Sirius got on his nerves, James made a point to get to dinner early and eat all the pumpkin pie at the table. Granted, this did give him terrible stomach aches, but it was worth it to see the frustrated look on his friend's face.

Talking with each other and spending so much time together allowed Sirius to finally become the person he was hoping Hogwarts would allow him to be. Quickly, he turned from an introverted observer to a loud, rambunctious entertainer. He and James were always the hoot of Transfiguration, but were usually the people who cost Gryffindor House the most points. In no time at all, the duo became known as troublemaking jokesters.

The boys were rather loud and obnoxious for first years; quite often they found upperclassmen in their spot by the window yelling at them to shut up. Unfazed, the two simply grinned and nodded, and then continued their talk without a change. Every once in a while, James would begin to talk about Lily Evans, and every time, Sirius would roll his eyes at him.

"What?" demanded James.

"You've seriously got to stop thinking about that girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he said indignantly. Sirius noted but remained quiet about the tinge of pink that was slowly creeping over James's face.

"I don't know." Sirius shrugged, his stormy gray eyes drifting across the room. "I'm just saying, you're kind of getting obsessed there, James."

"Wha…obsessed…what are you…_obsessed_…don't…don't be—ridiculous!" spluttered James. "She's just-just someone in our year…that's all!"

"Who is?" a voice behind him asked. Sirius looked up behind James to see Harley Potter, James's oldest brother. "That Lily girl?"

"How do you know who she is?" James demanded, turning around abruptly. "You're a sixth year!"

Harley let out a booming laugh, one strikingly similar to Mrs. Potter's. "You sent Mum a letter about her, and she told me to keep an eye out for you and your new _crush_."

Bright red, James turned back to Sirius, searching desperately for words to defend himself. "I…I don't like her! She's…she's horrible! I hate her! That's what I was writing Mum about." He turned back to Harley, "I don't know why she got confused by it, but that's what I was saying."

"Oh yeah?" Harley smirked. "Prove it. Prove that you don't have a crush on her." Turning his head, Harley glanced around the common room and spotted a small girl with dark red hair sitting by herself in the corner across from them, reading a book. "There she is. Hex her."

Both James and Sirius looked up at Harley, slightly taken aback. "H-Hex her?" stammered James. "Wh-How? I-I don't know any good hexes."

Harley snorted. "Yeah, right. I bet the first thing you did when you got your textbooks was look at the example hexes and learn to master them. I bet you have at least ten pranks you can choose from that are really beyond what a first year should know."

Casting his eyes down, James groaned inwardly at the truth of Harley's statement. He didn't want his brother and Sirius to think he had a…a _crush_ on Lily Evans, but he also didn't want to hex her out of nowhere. Out of a faint hope that his brother was joking, James looked up again, but was sorely disappointed when all he saw was Harley's smirking, challenging face. Sighing to himself in defeat, James pulled out his wand.

"YEAH!" Harley cheered.

"Shh!" hissed James. "Keep it down, git. Everyone will know it was me."

Still laughing, Harley quieted. James ran through his thoughts to pick a hex that was not too cruel. He didn't want to outright hex _her_, so he tried to think of a spell that would affect her indirectly. Finally, he decided on one that would work, and flicked his wand at her chair, whispering the incantation. They watched, eyes wide, as Lily Evans's chair began to shake, and she realized it. Startled, she glanced around, with a look of panic in her green eyes. Suddenly, as he looked at her green eyes, James regretted it. He got so wrapped up in his regret that he forgot to put his wand away, and when she toppled and hit the ground, her narrowed eyes locked square onto his wand-bearing hand.

"Potter!" she screeched. "What is your problem?"

Part of the common room was laughing, another part was staring slightly stunned at James's magical skills, while the rest were gazing around absentmindedly, entirely unaware of the situation. Standing in the corner behind Sirius, Harley looked amused. Sirius, on the other hand, was taking in the situation with a wary eye. In all honesty, Sirius always found the best reactions to be those where the victim of the prank lost control, but he had rarely ever had the chance to see it happen. To James's utter shock, Lily drew her wand out of her pocket and pointed it directly at him, green eyes blazing.

"What in Merlin's name did _I_ do to _you_?" she shrieked.

"I-I don't know…I…Are you okay?" he asked lamely.

"Okay? _OKAY?_ First you insult my friend on the Hogwarts Express, then you prank me for no good reason, and then you have the nerve to ask if I'm 'okay?'" Her expression was livid, and James felt as though he should back down and apologize, but something drove him to push her further.

"Well," he said slyly, "there doesn't have to be a good reason for a prank. The good reason is just to have a laugh. And I've pretty much succeeded at that, haven't I?"

Indeed, a couple of onlookers were laughing, but the Gryffindor common room was far too noisy for their argument to make much of an impact. Lily sucked in a huge breath, her wand twitched, emitting a few small sparks, but she seemed to think better of it. Huffing loudly, she snatched up her book and stalked off to the girls' dormitory, giving James Potter a contemptuous glare over her shoulder.

With a burst of laughter, Harley clapped his younger brother on the shoulder. "Damn, James. That was really impressive magic! And, not to mention, a really impressive prank."

Surprised, James looked up at his brother. "Seriously? You're not going to tell me how I could've done it better?"

"Oh, of course I am," scoffed the older boy, throwing his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes.

Rolling his eyes, James looked back over at Sirius, and they both ignored Harley as he droned on about the different kinds of pranks he had played in the past.

* * *

><p>It took a few practical jokes after that first one (that James always tried very hard not to speak of) before Sirius was able to openly accept his knack for making mischief. He and James particularly enjoyed pranking Slytherins, especially after one first year scoffed at Sirius and called him a "shame to his family." Both boys deeply itched to play a prank on Professor McGonagall, but neither had enough magical knowledge to carry out a worthy joke. Instead, they thrived on great, intricate schemes that sometimes involved huge amounts of liquid substance, NOT stolen, of course, and one that needed sneak—er—borrowing a cauldron from the dungeons.<p>

After about a month of laughter and reckless behavior, James and Sirius noticed another boy in their dormitory. He was rather small and quiet, with light colored hair and a pale face. He must have been very studious, for he hadn't uttered a word to the loud pair for the many weeks they'd been in the same dorm, and he was rarely ever around. There was another boy in the dormitory as well whom James and Sirius had met and spoken to on a few occasions. His name was Peter Pettigrew, and one thing the boys deduced from him was that he was a great, nearly obsessed fan of Katherine Hepburn (James explained to Sirius that she was a famous movie star). Other than her, the only subject which he spoke of was schoolwork. Once, Pettigrew complimented a prank on the Slytherin first year Rookwood, and James and Sirius were surprised and pleased. That was the only time Peter ever spoke to the two directly without James and Sirius approaching him first.

One day, James and Sirius were sitting on James's bed, heads together, excitedly planning out their next prank.

"…yes, but mate, we need another person," James argued.

"No, of course not, James. Don't doubt us, we're capable of any sort of mischief," Sirius replied with a wide grin.

"It's really difficult magic, Sirius. We only just learned the spell in Charms, and we definitely can't do it to a person, yet. We need more than two people doing the charm at once."

"James, come on. It'll work, and it'll be great."

James, unconvinced, looked around to see their classmate sitting on his bed next to them reading. "Sirius," he whispered. "You think maybe he could help?"

"Well…" Sirius hesitated. He did not like including others in their schemes; he was very much fond of the idea of the names Potter and Black joined together as the best and the biggest mischief-makers in all of Hogwarts. "All right," he agreed reluctantly.

James, with a wide smile, walked up to the boy on the bed. "Hello, mate." The boy jumped.

"Oh…hello," he answered tentatively.

James was unfazed. "I'm James Potter."

"Yes…I know who you are…most of us do, actually," said the boy, and smiled a little.

"Yeah? Sirius, mate, did you hear that? We're famous already!" he beamed. Sirius's disappointed expression quickly changed into a vaunting, proud one.

"Well-deserved, too," Sirius said smugly. James redirected his attention to the boy.

"So? We've been in the same dormitory for the past month, and you haven't told us your name."

The boy flushed as much as his pale countenance would permit, and said in a barely audible voice, "Remus, Remus Lupin. Sorry, I don't know where my manners were."

James and Sirius guffawed. "Mate, with us, you don't need manners," Sirius said. "You should help us with this prank. It'll be excellent." Sirius's eyes twinkled.

James flashed Sirius a surprised look, then looked back at Remus to see if he agreed to work with them. Remus had a small smile on his face, and an almost shocked look behind his smooth features.

"Really?" asked Remus.

Nodding vigorously, James replied, "Oh yeah, we need a third person. Three people should do it, I think. Actually, why not four? Hey, Pettigrew!" With a glance over his shoulder, James called out towards the bed in the corner, where Peter Pettigrew was sitting and practicing his wandwork. The boy turned around to look at the trio with a thrilled look on his face.

"Yeah?"

"Help us out with this prank, would you?" James grinned. "We need that spell you're practicing."

Enthusiastically, Peter nodded. "Of course! Of course I'll help!"

The three boys then turned to Remus, all wearing hopeful smiles. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

Remus looked at them sternly.

"You know, it's probably not a good idea to participate in the prank, or let you do it," he said. James's and Sirius's smiles faded a little, and Remus grinned widely. "So how are we planning it?"

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, in the middle of Charms class, all hell broke loose. They were levitating glass bottles, practicing the <em>Wingardium Leviosa<em> spell. All over the room, glass was shattering, and the boys murmured several times that Professor Flitwick had made a terrible decision in choosing glass bottles for levitation practice. The only people who had managed to lift the bottle up were Lily Evans, but only for a moment, Remus managed it twice, and James and Sirius managed it three times and took that as a reason to stop. Professor Flitwick stood at the end of the room, shouting out useless words of encouragement and holding a shaking wand with one hand and a heavy textbook over his head with the other. Across from James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter was Severus Snape, who was glaring at his bottle, desperately willing it to rise into the air.

"Is it today, mate?" James asked Sirius quietly.

"Yeah," he replied. "But we'll see who."

They had mastered the charm they intended to use for their practical joke and marveled at the result that came from four people performing it at one time. Never before had they tried it on a person, however, and all four were nervous about the outcome. At least, James and Sirius were. Remus was more anxious about getting caught, and Peter was slightly oblivious to the entire scenario. All that was expected of him was to perform the charm at the right time. Now, they were before the obstacle of choosing a victim.

Snape looked up from his work and gave the boys a nasty sneer. "Perhaps if you didn't converse so much about your useless and petty, or so-called by yourselves '_clever_' ideas, you might manage to actually produce a result." He looked over at Remus, who was trying hard to levitate his bottle higher than before, but was only managing about a centimeter or two off the desk, and continued, "Or perhaps not."

Sirius opened his mouth to retort angrily, but James stopped him with a look that Sirius understood and returned. They knew who. James flicked his wand at the other side of the room, and one of the glass bottles they were supposed to be levitating exploded loudly, causing many screams from the girls in the corner, one of whom happened to be Lily Evans. James smirked to himself.

"All right," Sirius whispered. "Now." With that, the four boys, eyes screwed up in concentration (they were only first years after all), pointed their wands under the table at Severus Snape and muttered the spell.

"_Wingardium Leviosa."_

The shriek was deafening.

* * *

><p>By the next week, the laughter had died down, and although they sustained a severe telling-off from Lily Evans, the boys were now heroes regarded in much esteem by their peers. A detention and a few house points was a small price to pay for the respect the four had gained, some even from the upperclassmen. Charlie Benedict had approached James later to ask him if they really had levitated Severus Snape in Charms class, and swore under her breath at his affirmation, regretting fervently that she had been sick and absent from class that day. She then begged him, to no avail, to perform the prank again while she was watching. Once, James and Sirius had even walked by Harley and his friends to hear one of the older boys say, "Hey, mate, isn't that your brother? He levitated a <em>person<em>! That's bloody cool!" to which James smirked triumphantly at Harley's annoyed face. The four boys walked with a great swagger, especially James and Sirius. Almost immediately, everyone wanted to be James's and Sirius's friend. One would think Remus was being shunted to the side, but quite the contrary, after every compliment, either James or Sirius would laugh and say, "Remus was the brains," or "It was all Remus." If it was Sirius, he would add, "…and me," to the end of either phrase, earning a punch in the shoulder from Remus. And Peter, it seemed, was merely happy to be part of such a popular group.

One day in the common room, Remus was doing Potions homework, while James and Sirius were playing Exploding Snap on a nearby table, and Peter was struggling with a Transfiguration essay. "Mate," Sirius said to no one in particular. "It's time we hit again."

"Who's we?" Remus asked slightly absentmindedly.

Sirius looked surprised. "What d'you mean? You, me, James, and Peter, that's who's we."

"Hmm," Remus replied. "I didn't realize this was our primary function."

"English, mate," Sirius sighed. "Save that for the essay."

"I just thought we were only a group of friends. I didn't realize we were in the official business of pranking, that's all."

"No, no," defended Sirius, shaking his head. "Pranking is our thing. Isn't it, James?"

James looked contemplative for a moment. "Remus is onto something there."

Sirius looked at him incredulously. "What? Of course it is! We always have been in the 'business of pranking!' We—"

"Shut up for a minute Sirius," James said, waving his remark down. "I mean, yeah, we just did a prank for the fun of it, but if we're going to hit again…" He broke off, deep in thought. Even Remus had looked away from his paper.

Sirius clicked his tongue impatiently. "If we're going to hit again, what?"

James snapped his attention back. "We'll need a name," he said.


	3. Year One: A Glimpse of the Past

**A/N: **Here's Chapter 3! Just to clarify, this story is NOT just a romantic approach to the Marauder era, there will be a plot taking place soon! Please review and give me any suggestions you think can improve or add spice to the story.

-Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 3: A Glimpse of the Past

James awoke to the sound of soft sniffling. Groaning quietly, he sat up and looked at the clock with bleary eyes. It was almost four a.m. and the dormitory was still, except for the ragged breathing. He looked around, and was surprised to see someone curled up under the covers in the bed next to his, shaking.

"Sirius?" he whispered. A tiny gasp came from Sirius's bed, and James heard him clear his throat. Clearly, he had thought everyone was sleeping.

"Sirius," said James more firmly. "It's like, four in the morning," he mumbled.

"Uh, yeah? James? Is it-is it that late? You, er, you woke me up," he lied. "What is it?"

James smiled a little, still groggy. "You tell me, mate."

"It…it's nothing." It wasn't nothing. Sirius was beyond upset, but he wasn't about to let his new friends know that. These friends were the first people who accepted him for something other than his blood status, and Sirius dreaded that one day his family and upbringing would ruin that. In fact, he could say with absolute certainty that telling his friends what was bothering him would do just that.

James sighed. He got up from his bed, and went over to sit next to Sirius. "Come on, Sirius. Tell me what's going on. You know I won't leave it until you do."

For a moment, he considered making up a story about how he messed up terribly on his Transfiguration exam, but he knew James would never take that seriously. So wordlessly, miserably, Sirius sat up and handed James a crumpled piece of paper from his hand. "This came for me when we were at dinner. The owl was on my bed," Sirius said shakily, and smiled bitterly. "Didn't want to catch me at dinner, where everyone could see. Wouldn't want a Slytherin owl at the Gryffindor table."

The letter was decorated with the Black crest James had spotted on Sirius's robes on the Hogwarts Express. It was written in a woman's perfect hand, and the way the words slanted almost seemed to berate and scold. As he read the letter from Sirius's mum, James's expression changed from one of curiosity, to shock, to disgust, and finally sympathy. He looked over at Sirius, whose face was unreadable, except for his downcast eyes.

"Wow…I'm sorry, Sirius. I didn't realize it was all that bad. Although, Mum did say…" James's thought drifted off, and he looked a little guilty. Sirius's head snapped up in anger. On the inside, he knew that he wanted nothing more than to write off his family as whatever Mrs. Potter had said to James about them, but something in him could not. And although he knew defending them would probably end just the way he dreaded, with him alone, Sirius found heated, self-justifying words escaping from his mouth.

"What? What did your mum say, James? That the Black family is Dark, fanatically pureblood, not to mess around with them? That we're horrible and overly conservative and ruthless Muggle hunters? Something of that sort, yeah? Well we're not okay? We're bloody not!" Sirius yelled.

James made no attempt to hush him, and as a result they heard Remus moaning in the next bed. "Wasgoinon?" he mumbled.

James hesitated. "Nothing, Remus. Go back to—"

"No," Sirius barked, "Get up, Remus. Why don't you have a go at how foul my family is, eh? In fact, why not everyone? Hey, Peter!" He was yelling louder now, absolutely fuming, and James was slowly turning red.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted. Sirius flinched and fell silent. "NO ONE was having a go at your family, Sirius. Especially not for being Dark or fanatically pureblood. Maybe that is what people say—"

"Not maybe—"

"Shut up. Whatever the case, it's really not important what your name is or who your family is. To us, and I would hope, to everyone else, you're still Sirius Black, the prankster, not Sirius Black, the pureblood. What is important is that your family treats you this way. Just because you're a Gryffindor, doesn't make you any less their son." Remus, who seemed to be following, nodded firmly. Peter, on the other hand, emitted soft snores from across the room.

Sirius scoffed, "That's what you think. I'm the biggest disgrace since…since…"

James pursed his lips. "Stop that, Sirius. You're still their son. I think you should write back and let them know how you feel."

His gray eyes were skeptical. "What do you think that would do?"

"Well, I hope they see that shunning you and making you feel bad is wrong. They should realize that just because you might think differently than they do, doesn't make you any less deserving of their attention. But if not, then they'll at least know what you think." He smiled encouragingly. "And if it helps, we won't talk about this again."

At this, Sirius's expression softened. "All right."

The boys all went back to bed, and they heard Sirius whisper, "Thanks."

* * *

><p>It was impossible. Several times, Sirius had gone to the Owlery with the full intention of writing a letter to his mother and sending it, and every time he had returned without fulfilling his goal. Twice, he had written a full letter, and once tied it to the owl, but at the last moment felt a chill on his neck that felt eerily like his mother's breath, and backed out both times. Ashamed and wanting to avoid his friends' pitying faces, Sirius spent most of his time holed up in his dorm room, and had even taken to sulking in the library. More than once, he skipped dinner to stroll around the castle, or bury himself in a corner in the library with parchment and quill in hand, struggling in vain to write the letter that was causing his distress in the first place. After a week of this, one evening he sat at a desk in the back of the large room, not even trying to think or dwell on his worries. He was so absorbed in random, distracting thoughts that he didn't notice the footsteps approaching him.<p>

"Hello," said a female voice.

Sirius looked up, startled. "Er…hi."

It was the girl he had met on the Hogwarts Express, Charlie. He recognized her oversized robes and uniform, as well as the long, brown hair that perfectly matched her eyes and fell in odd layers to her waist. She had an innocent, doe-eyed face with rosy cheeks, and the smile she was giving to Sirius made her seem like the gentlest creature in the world. Sirius did notice, however, a glint in her eye that showed that there was much more to her.

"Yes, hi," she replied, smiling wider.

There was a pause. "Charlie, right?" said Sirius awkwardly.

"Yeah, that's my name. And yours is Sirius."

"Erm…yeah."

Another awkward pause.

"So," said Charlie, with an authoritative air, and settled down into the seat next to him, books clattering loudly as they hit the table. "What are you doing here, and not at dinner?"

"Well," Sirius responded, not quite sure how to answer. She did it for him.

"You know, James and the guys were wondering."

"Oh."

"But," she continued, smiling encouragingly, "so was I. What's up?"

"Why were you wondering?" asked Sirius, not so much caring for the answer as much as trying to avoid her question.

"Black," she sighed. "You're one of the most chipper first years at the Gryffindor table. I mean, yeah, James is pretty wired, overactive, really, but without you he's just so much more toned down. It's weird. And it's weird that you'd skip out on dinner. That Lupin said the first time that you were sick, but you missed other times and no one knew why. _And_ on top of that, you're sulking in the library. The library! You're one of the most laid back, relaxed, happy-go-lucky students at Hogwarts and you're skipping dinner, your favorite time of the day, to sit in the world of books. So yeah, I'm wondering why you're doing that. Because when things go this drastically out of order, I wonder why they do."

Slightly stunned, Sirius racked his brains on how to respond. "Actually," he said in a small voice, "free period after Charms is my favorite part of the day. That's when we can prank that Snape kid." He tried to crack a grin, and failed. Charlie, on the other hand, exploded into laughter, so much that Madame Pince, the young, new librarian, hissed at her to shush.

"See?" she laughed, "That's why it's weird. You're so funny, and you're just not around randomly. What's going on?"

Sirius thought about telling her, just to get the weight off of his chest. Maybe if he vented to her, he'd be able to go back to eating and sleeping and enjoying Hogwarts normally. But no, he couldn't. She would definitely judge him, one look at her sweet, happy face told him so. A girl like this, with the air of being loved and kept shielded from his side of the world, could never understand, and would turn away from him immediately. He wouldn't tell her, he thought to himself firmly and surely.

"It's my parents," he blurted out. "My whole family, actually. Everyone in my family is a pureblood fanatic, and they don't like that I've been Sorted into Gryffindor. My whole life everyone in my family has been telling me how Muggles and Mud—Muggleborns are not worthy, filthy even, and how I should one day grow up to make a change in the Wizarding world so that no Muggles or Muggleborns will ever be noted as up to our standards. They all expected me to be in Slytherin. They're not proud of me anyway, I never answer their trick questions right and I'm never doing anything right, and this was just the final straw. I just…I don't know what to do…" he broke off helplessly, looking distraught and torn.

In despair and a little bit of fear, Sirius looked over at Charlie to gauge her reaction, expecting her to glare at him in disgust for being born to such a family, and turn away brusquely, but she did no such thing. On the contrary, she sat quietly, observing him, all mischief gone from her eyes. Sirius stared back in fearful awe, not daring to believe that she was actually considering what she had just heard. Could she possibly understand? She opened her mouth to answer, and the fear in his stomach threatened to erupt out of his mouth along with his lunch.

"You know," she said quietly, ponderously, "what I do when I feel confused and stressed like you?"

Dumbstruck and slightly confused, Sirius shook his head.

"I go out flying. Do you want to come with me?"

He nodded, still wordless. Following his silence, Charlie guided him out of the library and onto the Quidditch Pitch, and with two glances around them, murmured a spell that opened the broom shed. Quickly, she snatched out two brooms, motioned for Sirius to mount his, and took off into the air, performing wildly impressive feats for an eleven-year-old. Sirius followed suit, unworried that they would be caught. They flew around the Pitch in silence, enjoying the comfort of each other's company. Oddly, Sirius felt as though Charlie understood his problem, though she couldn't possibly. After they landed, though, he found that she did.

"Sirius," said the girl, as she locked up the broom shed, "I know what you mean."

He looked at her inquisitively.

Taking in a deep breath, she continued, "You're Sirius Black."

Befuddled, Sirius affirmed her statement.

"I'm Charlie Benedict."

For a moment, he had no idea what she implied in her confession, but sudden memories dawned on him. His mother telling him about Grayson Benedict and his wife, Adria, who had made a speech to pureblood supporters about actions which should be taken to ensure the protection of their blood's quality and status. At the time, Sirius had been seven years old. Two years earlier, his father had read aloud an article from the paper discussing the same Grayson Benedict who had been handing out flyers in Diagon Alley about a group that would petition the Ministry for certain Anti-Muggleborn laws. Sirius didn't remember the name of the group. Looking at Charlie, he couldn't seem to place her as one of _them_, and suddenly the notion struck him that she was one of _him_.

"You're…are you related to Grayson Benedict?" he murmured, just to be sure.

"Yeah. He's my granddad. I've only met him a couple times. He's a pureblood fanatic, and his son, my dad, was sort of in your place when he was at Hogwarts. Well, he wasn't in Gryffindor, he was in Ravenclaw. But you know, same thing." Smiling now, she looked at Sirius imploringly. "I know what it's like, Sirius. My dad, he's not like his dad, but I can tell that some of those thoughts are still there. Even though I know he'd never do anything about it, he does think that purebloods are higher than everyone else. I don't. So I know what it's like to be different than your parents, or the rest of your family, and feel like a disappointment."

Shocked, Sirius could do nothing but nod. Here was someone he could completely relate to. Along with the issue of his mother, that his friends could not truly understand was another idea that had eaten away at Sirius for the past week. Now, those troubles were assuaged.

"Thanks, Charlie. Really, thanks," he was finally able to stammer. "And I'll always think of you as Charlie, not Charlie _Benedict_."

"Thanks to you, too," said Charlie, smiling widely. The twinkle in her eye had found its way back. "You're a good friend, Sirius. To me, and to the guys. What d'you say we get back to them, yeah?"

Grinning in response, Sirius nodded, for the first time in a week feeling enthusiastic.

* * *

><p>The four boys and Charlie Benedict sat in the corner by the window in the Gryffindor common room. It was nighttime after a long session of studying Potions, during which Sirius hummed loudly in everyone's ears, irritating all and perhaps being the cause of the session's excruciating length.<p>

"WHAT is your problem?" Remus finally asked, slamming his book shut.

Sirius shrugged. "I'm just bored."

Everyone groaned.

"Sirius, mate," said James, "you do realize that that is the _worst_ thing that can ever happen to us?"

"Being bored?" asked Sirius, appearing confused.

"YOU being bored!" cried Charlie, also giving up on her book.

Peter snickered, but quailed immediately after a look from Sirius.

"But, come on," Sirius whined at James. "Aren't you bored, too? How can you stand to study that nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense," Remus said wearily. "It's going to be on the exam tomorrow."

"Oh, no one cares about that exam! It barely makes a difference! The only exams that matter are the end of the year ones. Now let's do something fun."

"Ugh. I hate it when he says that," groaned Charlie.

"Like what?" probed James, earning a glare from the girl.

Sirius wore a sly smile. "Hex Evans."

His friend turned bright red. "NO!"

"Aw, why not?"

"Because!"

"Don't be pathetic, Potter."

"Don't irk me, Black!"

"Come on, just one hex?" Sirius pleaded.

"No," replied James firmly. He would never do that again. She had been so angry.

"James—"

"Let it go, Sirius," Charlie interjected. "I know James. He's not gonna do it. I don't even know why you want to. She seems all right," she said, eyeing Lily Evans, who sat across the room on the same chair that had recently dropped her. Leaving the boys to their argument, she stood up to go speak to the girl.

"Hi, there," she said, sitting down next to her. The redhead looked shocked.

"Hello. What's your name?" she asked politely.

"I'm Charlie Benedict." She smiled warmly at her. The redhead girl seemed very shy. "And you?"

"Lily Evans. It's nice to meet you."

"You're in my dormitory," Charlie noted.

"Am I?" bluffed Lily, blushing. "I hadn't really noticed."

"How do you not notice? We've been living together for a while," replied Charlie, slightly amused.

"I didn't say much to the girls in my—our dorm. I've kept to myself, mostly." Lily Evans paused, before continuing, "If you noticed, why did you wait so long to say anything?"

That wiped the smirk off of Charlie's face. Inside, though she did not dare show it, Lily Evans danced with victory. Charlie, surprised by the shy girl's secret sassiness, searched her mind for a response.

"I…I guess I'm just rude. I suppose I need someone polite around to teach me my manners. Are you interested, Lily Evans?" she shot back, smile returning to her face.

With a slightly surprised laugh, Lily responded, "Yes, I think so. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Charlie is short for…?"

"Oh, it's Charlotte, but no one calls me that but my granddad, and sometimes my grandma. Are you just Lily, or is that short for something?"

"No, just Lily, after the flower. My sister's called Petunia."

"How nice. Is she at Hogwarts, too?"

"No…she's a Muggle…" And the two divulged into stories about themselves.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Before Chapter 4 goes up, I'd like to get some opinions on whether the story should span all 7 years or should split into volumes. Please let me know! Thanks!

-Maya


	4. Year One: A Christmas Carol

**A/N:** And here's chapter 4! Please review, it'd be nice to hear some feedback!

-Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 4: A Christmas Carol

Christmas was right around the corner, and Hogwarts was alive with spirit. Almost literally, seeing as the ghosts of Hogwarts were flitting around much more than usual, telling tales to absent ears about Christmases in their days. Tinsel and confetti floated around the ceilings, and in almost every hallway and room there was a large Christmas tree. Somehow, the castle seemed to sparkle more than usual, and the festive air rubbed off on students and staff alike. Less homework was assigned, at least to the first years, which James learned the hard way when he pranced around the Gryffindor common room whooping about having no assignments and only just managed to dodge a hex shot at him by Harley. With only two weeks until the Christmas vacation, most of the first years had nothing but time on their hands. Of course, the Marauders spent this time planning their next great hoax, and Charlie Benedict spent most of it alternating between the boys and her new friend Lily.

At the moment, however, Lily was alone, and appeared very interested in a conversation with Nearly Headless Nick in the library just as James walked in. Spotting his target, he smiled and, with as much swagger as an eleven-year-old could muster, walked straight toward her. It was the day the students would go home for the holidays, and James intended to ask Lily if she was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas.

"Hey there, Evans," he said easily. Nick looked outraged at the interruption, but James, ignoring him, continued, "What are you working on there?"

She looked up at him with irritation he supposed he deserved, but in a second he forgot what he was saying. The green of her eyes and the red of her hair gave a very warm color to her face, but her pursed lips somehow stole from the effect. James started laughing.

"What's so funny?" she grumbled testily.

"Well, you see, your eyes are green…and your hair is red," he laughed more. He seemed unable to control it.

"And?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"It's…it's…Christmas!"

Even Nick looked unimpressed. "Young man, if you wish to win this lovely lady I certainly hope you have more to go on."

James glared at him. "Win? Lovely? Well I certainly hope you're joking _Sir_ Nick!"

Nick merely shrugged and walked away. Lily looked back down at her books and sighed. "Leave me alone, Potter. I'm trying to get a good majority of my homework done before the holidays."

James groaned. "Only you, Evans. Only you would try to do the joke that calls itself homework when you have a month ahead of you to finish it all."

"Well what brings you to the library then, Potter? Can't be looking for a book?" she snapped.

He grinned widely and said, "As a matter of fact, I actually perform spectacularly in _all_ my classes, without the aid of extra books that _you_ seem to need."

Lily slammed her book shut, huffed loudly, and looked up directly into James's eyes, letting out a hissed stream of insults he didn't really pay attention to. Her eyes were so green.

"Lily," he interrupted.

"_Don't_ call me Lily, Potter," she said brusquely.

James ignored her. "Why are you always so angry at me?"

Stunned, she replied, "_What?_"

"Why are you always so angry with me?" he repeated calmly.

"Wha…I'm…Potter…are you-are you seriously asking me that? James Potter, not only do you consistently annoy me, you're terrible to my best friend! And a lot of his friends, too. You're an-an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Why is it that you don't see that?" cried the redhead, sighing exasperatedly.

Her answer should not have shocked him, but it did anyway. He chose to bury it and responded with a grin, "Evans, it seems that you're the only person who sees that."

After turning tomato red, Lily took in a deep breath and held it, and then let it out loudly. Without another word, she snatched up her book and bag and walked out of the library in a deathly calm gait.

James ignored the feeling of his heart sinking.

Later on in the day, Charlie found James sitting in front of the fire in the common room with a troubled look on his face. Glad to have something to do other than pull pranks, she sat next to him on the couch.

"This isn't our spot." It wasn't a question, but James knew what she was asking.

"You're friends with Lily Evans, right?" he asked, deflecting Charlie's inquiry.

"Yeah, why?"

"Is she friends with Severus Snape?" James felt bile rise to his throat as he thought about the boy.

Nodding slowly, Charlie answered, "Yeah, she is. Why do you ask?"

With a pause, James replied, "Just wondering."

For a moment, she felt as though she should press the subject, but not wanting to bother her friend, Charlie simply shrugged and moved to get up off the couch.

"Why's she friends with him?" James blurted out.

"What?" Charlie almost giggled at the ridiculousness of his question.

"Lily Evans is a Muggleborn Gryffindor. Severus Snape, that disgusting, sniveling git, is a pureblooded Slytherin. How can they be friends?"

He didn't know that Charlie had wondered the same thing many times as well. "I…don't know," she said slowly. "Maybe he's different? Maybe he only got Slytherin because of heritage, but maybe he's like, I don't know, like Sirius?"

"Or you," muttered James absentmindedly. Despite the truth of his statement, it still stung her a little, though he didn't realize it. Charlie always kept her self-consciousness about her family hidden.

"Yeah," she responded hesitantly, "who knows?" The girl shrugged again, and headed towards her dormitory. At the foot of the steps, she paused. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't like him either."

* * *

><p>"That horribly irksome, frustrating, arrogant boy!" Lily fumed.<p>

"Calm down," said Charlie, amused. "He's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" her friend repeated. "How can you say that? He's very much so that bad!"

"Come off it, Lily." Charlie shook her head, laughing. "You're just mad he insulted your friend, and you've judged him since then."

"Judged him? _Judged him_? I never, ever judge people. My mum and dad always told me to give everyone a second chance, but that Potter's on his fifth or tenth or _hundredth_ chance by now!"

"That's probably true," Charlie acquiesced humorously.

"How can you be friends with him?"

But, because of a soft moan that escaped from a bed next to hers, Charlie was unable to answer her angry friend. They both looked over at one of the other girls who shared their dorm. All they could see under the covers was a mass of blonde curls that cascaded over the blankets as well as her face. This was the only girl in the dorm they hadn't met yet, Lily because she was too shy, and Charlie because she never found the opportunity. Sometimes they spotted her hanging around with a group of large boys, fifth-years, they appeared, but otherwise she was only ever seen in her bed.

"Where are the other two?" Lily whispered.

"I saw Janice in the common room, but I haven't seen the other one today. What was her name?"

"Vix."

"Oh. Right. Yeah, I don't know where she is."

Unlike the four Gryffindor first year boys, the girls were not as close with each other. Lily found she got along with Vixen Carter, a short, pixie-like girl with an upturned nose much better than with Janice Mallory, who was sallow-faced and kept to herself. Charlie, on the other hand, conversed more comfortably with Janice, and tried to avoid Vix. She claimed the girl was "a nutter." And as for this blonde girl sleeping in her bed, they didn't see her enough to care.

"Well," Charlie murmured softly. "I should get ready to go."

"Oh, yeah, you're going home. Have fun!" She hesitated for a moment.

Charlie sensed her pause. "What?"

"You're…er…James Potter's good friend, aren't you?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, so?"

"You wouldn't happen to know if he's staying or going home over Christmas would you?" The look on Lily's face spoke pure irritation, and for a moment Charlie felt a pang of regret for James.

"He's staying. Sorry."

Lily groaned, and Charlie cringed, but said nothing more.

* * *

><p>At the Christmas dinner, both James and Sirius were sitting quite calmly as Professor Dumbledore gave the Christmas speech. It was, in all honestly, bizarre for the other students to watch the two troublemakers share polite exchanges with their classmates, and sit quietly and respectfully as the headmaster made his speech. Until –<p>

BANG! A deafening explosion preceded the chaos that was in reaction to the streams of red and green (James secretly picked colors very close to Lily Evans's) smoke that issued from the ceiling and walls. Although it didn't prevent breathing, the smoke stained clothes, skin, and hair, and once it had reached the floor, became a very slippery material that seriously hindered those who were trying to escape the pandemonium. Girls were screaming and covering their faces, and many students, and even teachers, were running for the doors. Professor McGonagall, and others who were brave enough to defy the prank, stood and tried to gather order, but unfortunately it was very difficult to follow orders of a person whose entire appearance was stained green and red. And in the midst of it all sat James Potter and Sirius Black, completely covered in red and green and supporting huge grins.

In the common room, everybody groaned as the two walked in.

"Thanks, morons—"

"—useless gits—"

"How am I supposed to get this off my—"

"Oh, just go back to the Great—"

They reacted to all the frustrated comments with smiles and, in Sirius's case, bows. For even though the Gryffindors threw insults at them, James and Sirius couldn't help but notice that each of them wore a smile. They might have been a little worried of the Gryffindor prefect's reaction, but when they approached Gene Fitzpatrick, it was clear that it wouldn't be a problem.

"I'd give you detentions because it's my job, but I reckon McGonagall will handle this one. Great Christmas prank, by the way," Gene said, with a broad smile.

As he walked away, James and Sirius looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Ah, he is too weak, my friend," Sirius said.

"Such a figure of authority must be stronger, don't you think?" James agreed.

"Yes, yes I do indeed. Shall we take it upon ourselves to correct this?"

"Yes, we shall, Sirius. We shall."

Gene Fitzpatrick became the main object of their practical jokes, not so they could teach him to "be stronger," but because he had a genial reaction that inspired them to continue pranking.

"That went great, wouldn't you agree, Peter?" James was grinning so widely, it was quite a feat that his cheeks hadn't burst yet.

"Yeah! It was so cool!" Peter's eyes glowed with awe.

"It's a shame Remus wasn't with us," said Sirius, shaking his head sadly.

"Yeah, that's true, but family's more important, I suppose."

Remus had received notice from his ill mother again, which had swiped him away from Hogwarts for the rest of the month. It had happened a few times before as well, but every time his friends inquired of it, Remus answered their questions curtly and pithily. Bemused though they were, the other three Marauders reasoned that he must be very close to his mother, and would rather not think about whatever illness she had that was so severe.

"We should write to him, shouldn't we?" offered Peter.

"That's a great idea!" Clapping the small boy on the back, James scrambled to take out some parchment.

"Whoa, wait!" exclaimed Sirius. "It's really late. Can we do it in the morning?"

Looking playfully affronted, James cried, "Friendship cannot wait, Sirius!"

With a laugh, Sirius joined his friends in writing the letter.


	5. Year One: Slithering Troubles

**Forever Young**

**Chapter 5: Slithering Troubles**

After the holidays, schoolwork kicked in like a slap in the face, which coincidentally looked like something Professor McGonagall would have happily given each of them. Remus returned, turning a pale yellow color at the mention of his ill mother, mumbling quietly that she was better. He hadn't responded to their letter, and when asked why not, he cleverly deflected the question. Charlie had come back bouncing with stories and excitement, her brown ponytail seemed like it would fall off.

"So my gran came over for Christmas, not my dad's mum, my mum's mum, and she was so funny! David and Edward, my brothers, kept messing around with her. They found this Muggle contraption, it's called a Whoopee Cushion—"

"Oh," interrupted Lily, surprised.

Looking slightly put off, Charlie stopped her spiel. "Yeah?"

"Nothing," she laughed, "I just forgot about those. I was never really one for pranks, but I have a cousin, Melvin, who got a great laugh from the Whoopee Cushions. Tuney hated them, so I guess I followed her suit."

"Tuney?" asked Charlie curiously.

"Oh…er…" Lily flushed, realizing that she hadn't referred to her sister that way in front of her friend. "That's my sister, Petunia. We, or I, actually, called her Tuney, and it kind of stuck," she said awkwardly.

"I see. Why didn't she like the pranks? I thought they were funny. I mean, I would never do it, but watching it is pretty entertaining."

Lily shrugged. "I guess so, but it's not that funny if it's your deaf great-uncle, or your sensitive cousin, or," she looked meaningfully at Charlie, "your mum's mum."

A little taken aback, Charlie stopped her story completely, and Lily didn't ask that she continue it.

"Erm, so anyway, what's new with you?"

"Oh, nothing," replied Lily dismissively. "Potter was annoying all break, of course, so I spent most of my time here in the dormitory. Janice and the blonde girl were gone, so I spent some time with Vix, but mostly just did homework and went to the library."

"LILY EVANS!" Charlie shouted, causing Lily to jump a mile out of her seat. "How could you let me leave you to that life of boredom? You need me to teach you how to have some fun!"

Laughing, she pulled an amused and reluctant Lily out of her seat and dragged her out of the room. They left Gryffindor Tower and headed out towards the rest of the castle. Arms linked, the girls' loud chattering and giggling turn a few irritated heads. After some time, Charlie and Lily found themselves in an empty corridor, or so it seemed, until they bumped into a large boy who appeared out of nowhere. They looked around to see his livid face, and recoiled as he towered over them.

"Are you two mad?" he yelled. "Just blabbering on like two schoolgirls and you can't even see where you're going? I am a _Prefect_! Would you like two weeks of detention? I could give that to you, you know. Both of you! Is that what you want? Is it?"

The girls shook their heads frantically.

"That's what I thought," he said smugly. "Well—"

"Radford." A voice came from behind them. Relieved, the girls turned to see Gene Fitzpatrick, the Gryffindor Prefect. Though leaner than the other boy, Gene looked confident and indignant towards his actions. "What are you doing?"

"These girls were disturbing the corridor with too much noise, Fitzpatrick." Though the Ravenclaw Prefect's voice seemed firm, his posture quavered slightly.

"An empty corridor?" Gene cocked one eyebrow up. "Other people might deal with your anger issues, Radford, but I can't let you harass two first years, or anyone for that matter, just because you were annoyed. And, actually, neither will the Head Boy and Girl. So don't bother wasting your time giving them detentions that aren't going to be carried out."

The larger boy still looked extremely angry. "Annoyed," he scoffed, turning away. "You know nothing, Fitzpatrick." He walked away, and Charlie and Lily let out breaths they didn't realize they had been holding.

"All right, girls. I'm sorry about that." He looked genuinely sorry as the three began heading back down towards the Gryffindor Tower. "Radford is a bit of a 'short circuit.' That's something my dad says about people who lose it easily. It's a Muggle phrase." Lily looked very excited.

"Yes, yes I know! My grandfather says that all the time about my dad! It's funny, he's not short-tempered at all, my dad. He's the gentlest man ever. But his dad always makes fun of him for being a tantrum child. Oh, sorry," she modified, looking abashed, "you probably don't care."

Oh the contrary, Gene Fitzpatrick looked very interested in Lily's animated storytelling. "No, no, not at all, er, what was your name?"

"Lily. Lily Evans." She blushed slightly.

"Well, Lily, your family sounds great, and I would've liked to hear about it, but I have a Prefects meeting here." He gestured towards the door they were approaching. "Gotta see that Radford again," he groaned. "I'll see you two around."

Waving, Gene left Charlie and Lily in the fifth floor corridor, two floors down from where they had been confronted, the redhead girl dewy-eyed and blushing. Charlie had been watching the exchange between Lily and Gene Fitzpatrick silently, observing with great detail. The moment he was out of earshot, she turned to Lily excitedly.

"Lily!"

"What?" Lily sounded as though her friend had just interrupted a deep thought.

"Lily," repeated Charlie, a knowing smile growing on her face.

"You said that already," muttered Lily, irritated.

"You like Fitzpatrick!" Charlie whispered conspiratorially, brown eyes glinting.

"I do not!"

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I…it…er…I-I do not!" repeated Lily, blushing harder than ever.

"Aw, look at you! You've totally got a crush on that boy!"

"Come on, Charlie, he's a fifth year."

"Oh, so what? You don't have to _date_ him. You can just, I don't know, like him secretly! Ooh, secret crushes! I'm so excited!"

Lily rolled her eyes, still red in the face, and ignored her friend. Gene Fitzpatrick had indeed been sweet and a little charming, but she couldn't possibly _like_ him. It was completely preposterous. Her friend was being completely preposterous. He just seemed like he would be a…good friend. That's all. Firmly, Lily told herself that Gene Fitzpatrick would be nothing but a good friend to her. She turned back to Charlie only to regret it, as she realized Charlie was still squealing about "newfound love" or something of the sort.

* * *

><p>That night at dinner, the Marauders found themselves sitting across from a girl they'd never seen before. She was surrounded by older students, mostly fifth year boys, and was laughing loudly, almost obnoxiously. Of course, in the midst of their plans, they would have never noticed her over their excitement, had it not been for the huge explosion from her side of the table. With a huge bang, the food on her plate flew in all directions and a puff of gray smoke made her and the people around her invisible. She emerged covered in the aftermath of the smoke, with only bits of blonde poking out of her otherwise gray hair, and the only part of her face that was not gray was her wide smile. "…and <em>that's<em> how it's supposed to work," she said, laughing.

"Wait a moment," Sirius interrupted. "That was _supposed_ to happen?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Well, I mean, you're supposed to be far away from it when it happens, but that's what the spell does, yeah. It can make anything you want blow up."

Slowly, as Sirius processed the information, a wide smile began to grow on his face. "Mate," he said, turning to the boys. "Are you all thinking what I'm thinking?"

Remus replied with a sigh, "Only if you're wondering how you're going to keep out of trouble with this one, but knowing you, Sirius, I doubt you are…"

"Remus, come on, it would be so cool!"

"Yeah," agreed James enthusiastically. "I think that would be really wicked."

Peter, eyes wide, nodded frantically. "Yeah, but…"

The three boys turned to Peter, slightly awed that he would have a different opinion, and have the courage to voice it, at that.

"What?" demanded Sirius.

"I-I'm only saying," stuttered the mousy boy, "we don't know how to do that. We've never learned anything that does that. I-I mean, we've done it by accident, at least, I have," he amended bashfully. "But I'm pretty sure we can't do that on purpose."

The friends looked thoughtful. Peter was right.

"Well," James said unsurely, "I guess we'll have to figure it out, right?"

The rest of the Marauders murmured their assents, but in actuality were all rather stumped. Their magical brilliance had met its match.

After dinner the boys went up to the common room and Sirius just managed to catch up with the explosion girl before she went to her dormitory.

"Hey, wait," Sirius called. He grabbed her arm and she turned to face him. Her eyes were gray, like his, but they looked more blue-gray than his stormy gray. Sirius grinned. "I see you've gotten the smoke out of your hair." It now hung in large blonde curls around her heart-shaped face.

She smiled back widely. "Yeah! Simple cleaning charm, learned it from my cousin. He's a fifth year and he's already taught me just about everything about magic. You know, once, when I was five, and he was nine, I accidentally got into a huge lot of trouble with Auntie, and he found me crying on my bed, (but I mean, come on, I was only five at the time) and he told me a charm that would turn Auntie's hair green. And wouldn't you know, the moment I thought it in my head and I thought, _'Auntie is so mean. Her hair should be green,'_ and goodness, the scream was deafening. I didn't know—" She may have continued at this lightning speed if Sirius hadn't stopped her.

"Wait, wait a moment," Sirius interrupted. "I'd love to let you finish but unfortunately, I've got something to ask you before seventh year."

The girl blushed and shut up instantly. "Sorry," she mouthed. "Yes I tend to go on and on forever. One time, my family and I were on a vacation in Florence and I met this total stranger, completely random, and a nutter, mind you, and he just started talking to me, and I joined his conversation. It was just so easy to—" she stopped short again at the look on Sirius's face, and smiled a little. "Yes? What do you want to ask me?"

"Well," Sirius began, not quite knowing where to start. "I suppose…" His eyes suddenly lit up. "What's your name?"

She laughed. "Brooklyn Terrence. And yourself?"

"Sirius Black." He didn't miss the dark look that fleeted across her countenance, and recognized that she was pureblooded as well. Opening his mouth to ask her for the spell, Sirius stopped abruptly. "Wait," he said, "you're a Gryffindor?"

The blonde girl nodded. "Yeah. So are you."

"I never see you in the common room," Sirius pointed out.

"That's probably true. I've seen you," she said with a smirk, "and your friends huddled in the corner by the window. You lot never seem to notice anything."

Shrugging, Sirius realized the truth in her statement.

"Anyway," she continued, "I don't really know many of the first years. The girls in my dorm seem nice, but they're never around when I'm there, which isn't that often, actually. I hang out a lot with my brother and his friends, I guess they deemed me cool enough. My brother's Julian Terrence, do you know him?"

When she stopped, she realized that Sirius was tapping his foot impatiently, not even paying attention to her words.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "but you stopped ending your sentences a while ago. It all just kind of became one blurry phrase."

Brooklyn let out a surprised laugh. "All right, then, Sirius Black. Was that all you wanted from me?"

"Well, what we actually needed was that spell…and maybe you'd like to perform a fantastic prank with us?" He whispered the last part, eyes twinkling with excitement.

She smirked lightly, and asked, "'We?' Who's 'we?'"

"Oh, me and my friends, the Marauders." Sirius grinned proudly; he was the one who had come up with the name. He thought it pure genius. Until of course, Brooklyn Terrence let out a wild laugh.

"Marauders? What a completely ridiculous name!" Her laugh resembled the sound of a bird chirping, _or maybe_, Sirius thought as he filled with indignation and contempt, _a crow cawing_.

"All right, then," he said, puffing up his chest. "Maybe we don't need you. I'm sure we can figure out that spell by ourselves. We _Marauders_ are very, very clever."

Brooklyn pulled down her laughing to a small giggle. "No, no, please, I'm sorry," she said. "I'd fancy a good prank. And besides," she smirked, "there is no _way_ you all could figure out the spell on your own." Sirius began his angry retort, but Brooklyn smiled and grabbed his arm and pulled him away saying, "Goodness, I'm so excited for this prank! So who are we going to pull it on? How's it going to work? When will we do it? Oh, Merlin, I have to tell you about the time we pranked my mum…"

* * *

><p>Brooklyn Terrence was quick to recognize that the Marauders had no boundaries and no fear of punishment. They were also fairly brilliant, and never failed to complete a prank to its fullest potential. Full of energy and ideas, they hit almost every other week. She, to them, came in handy only for magical knowledge and spells. Having entirely excluded herself from the name "Marauders," she refused to participate directly in the mechanics of the current prank, but if Sirius or James were to approach her with a request for some magic they didn't know yet, she obliged. It felt excellent, absolutely thrilling to be a part of any great prank, and to be quite honest, she knew she was the main brain behind most of them. Sometimes Remus was able to pull something interesting out of his intensive study, but no, Brooklyn definitely had more than him. And after all, it was much more fun when the prank was a surprise. There were times when after class she saw a Slytherin first year boy run through the corridor with odd greenish goo oozing from his hair, or when someone who had been particularly obnoxious during dinner suddenly had hands much too large for their bodies. Brooklyn found it even more delightful when she saw the prank in action. The sight of Sirius whispering an incantation or Remus screwing up his eyes to focus, then seeing the result moments later was exhilarating. Some pranks were so truly magnificent, Brooklyn found herself secretly wishing to have been more involved. But no, she was above that. Additionally, she had no time to waste, as her classes were extremely difficult for her. Her only magical knowledge was in the practice, not the theory, and tedious studies were something Brooklyn tended to avoid for as long as possible.<p>

Sitting alone at a table in front of the fireplace, she was moaning and groaning at a Potions essay, trying vehemently to focus her full attention on it. Fidgeting, she glanced around. Marlene McKinnon, a third year girl, known to be rather brainy, was sitting across the room. Brooklyn thought vaguely of asking her for help on the essay. Martin Doyle was sitting close to her, babbling about something, and she thought about asking Potter to hex him. He was a very annoying boy, whom she had only had the misfortune of speaking to once. It had been the one time she would have willingly taken the worst of the Marauders' pranks happily. The ridiculous boy had attempted to engage her in a discussion, quite passionately, about flobberworms and their special qualities. In Brooklyn's opinion, they had approximately one of those. To her surprise, Marlene looked interested in her conversation, but perhaps being older gave one the art of being a better actor. Brooklyn looked back down at her nearly blank paper, and felt tears of frustration prod the corners of her eyes. She groaned loudly and slammed her head down.

"Hello," a voice next to her said. "Can I help you with that?" It sounded like a very sweet voice, of a girl with good intentions. However, Brooklyn was in far too horrible of a mood to recognize anything good.

"NO!" she yelled. "I CAN DO IT MYSELF!" She froze, suddenly ashamed. Looking up, she saw the girl who had been offering her help. It was the quiet girl from most of her classes, Something Evans, the Evans that James didn't like. "I…I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to yell. You see, I'm very frustrated, because I don't understand the potions assignment. Something about Dungroots or something of the sort. I don't know, I don't know. Theory's never really been my thing, you know? Magical theory, it's just absolutely horrible! It's never been great in my family, actually. My grandfather barely passed out of Hogwarts, they were thinking he'd have to go to remedial school. I know, I didn't know there was any such thing either, it just seems so ridiculous. I mean, not passing out of Hogwarts? I really, really hope that doesn't happen to me. I just hope to do well enough on practicals that my low theory scores won't count too much against me. I just adore the practical exams! My brother, you know, he—" Brooklyn stopped suddenly. Something Evans was giving her an odd look. "I'm sorry," Brooklyn said, in much more subdued tone. "I tend to really go on and on, my family gives me a really hard time about it. Actually, you know, I—"

Suddenly, Evans started giggling. "You're funny, you know that?" she said. "Anyway, I came over because you looked really upset about your paper, and I know you're in a lot of my classes, so I thought I might be able to help. What is it?"

Brooklyn was incredibly relieved. "Yes, yes, please help! Please, please help me! This is so terrible! I HATE potions, with a great passion!"

"Really?" Evans responded, with an expression of honest shock. "Potions is wonderful! It's so fascinating, all these substances that come together to create a solution that can do almost anything! Is this the essay that's due next week? The one about Dragon nails in Calming Draughts?"

"Err…" Brooklyn paused, looking slightly sheepish. "Erm, no, it's actually, um, the one that's due tomorrow…about um, dung—dungroots?" she said in a very tiny voice.

Evans looked a bit taken aback, but hid her surprise well. She laughed a tinkling laugh, and said, "No no, it's dry roots. It's about the use of simple dry roots in all potions. I can definitely help you with that."

"Thanks!" She was extremely grateful. "It'll really help. I've got to get this done. Oh, I'm Brooklyn by the way. Brooklyn Terrence, and don't knock the name, it's some city in America that my mother adored when she visited. There's some bridge, or, something…" she trailed away, and seemed lost in thought.

"I'm Lily Evans. Lovely to meet you. You have beautiful hair, by the way…"

* * *

><p>The Gryffindor Common Room was, and there was no other way to describe it, home. There was no place more familiar to any of the students. Every student adored and took great comfort in the warmth of the fireplace, the feel of the carpet beneath bare feet, sounds of raucous Gryffindors loafing around in their reserved spots. At the moment, James sat alone in the comfortable chair by the window in the corner, gazing outside. As the late winter sky turned red, he shivered, imagining just how cold it must be outside. Sighing, he turned away. It was such a shame how little warmth they experienced throughout the year. James loved nothing more than to soar around on his broom in the heat of summer, and on an evening like this, he always longed for summer weather to last year round.<p>

"Boo," said a voice in his ear, and he turned to see a grinning face framed by huge blonde curls. Brooklyn happily took the seat next to his. "What, may I ask, has consumed your thoughts, O Ponderous One?"

Raising an eyebrow, James responded, "I'm sorry? I didn't realize, is there a spoken runic language?"

She laughed heartily. "That was good, Potter. No, I was just asking what's up?"

"Oh," James laughed. "Nothing much. Just wishing it was warm, that's all. You? Anything new?"

"Well," Brooklyn replied, staring wistfully outside, "I really, _really_ want to go flying right now, but I have a Charms essay to write. I've got to go get Lily's help on it."

The boy's head snapped back. "Lily? As in, the redhead girl?"

"Yeah," Brooklyn affirmed. "Why? What's the big deal?"

"Oh, nothing," James said quickly. "She's just, kind of annoying that's all. Yeah, I don't really like her. You know, she's really _girly_ and all that." He let out a very boy-like guffaw.

"Girly? Potter, you do realize I'm a girl too, right?" Brooklyn said.

"Oh, oh yeah, but you're not _really_ like that. I mean yeah, sure you're a girl, but you know. You know what I mean, right, Terrence?"

"…Sure, Potter." After that, she went up to her dorm to finish her homework, leaving James to gazing out of his window. He didn't notice another girl approach him either.

"James?"

The bespectacled boy looked up, startled out of his thoughts. "Oh, hey, Charlie. What's new?"

"Well, I kind of had a question."

"Yeah?" He looked curiously up at her; it was rare that Charlie ever came to him with questions, she mostly enjoyed entertaining him with stories.

"That girl, the one you were just talking to," she began hesitantly.

Unsure of where this conversation was going, James shrugged. "Yeah?" he repeated.

"Erm, who is she?"

Flabbergasted, James snapped his head up. "Whoa. Isn't she in your dorm?"

His friend looked slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, but we never got a chance to ever talk to her! Whenever she's in the dorm, she's asleep, and we only see her with the fifth year boys. We sort of assumed she was, you know, one of _those_ girls, but then she started hanging around with you lot, so…"

"One of _those_ girls?" James repeated, amused.

"Well, yeah," said Charlie, casting her eyes down uncomfortably. Though she always took cracks at him and his friends, James knew Charlie wasn't one for actually insulting people, particularly behind their backs.

"Her name's Brooklyn Terrence. You know, I don't ever remember actually seeing her, but I know Mum's mentioned the Terrence family before. They probably came to an event here and there, but those are so big it's impossible to meet anyone new."

It suddenly hit her. When she was small, around five years old or younger, there had indeed been a bubbly blonde girl with whom she had spent much of her time. They had been almost neighbors in the countryside, the Terrence home just over the hill, but only for a year or so. Coming only in brief flashes, memories flowed through Charlie's mind. She and the girl, Brooklyn, hiding behind a tree as Mrs. Terrence sought out the mastermind behind the lost cupcakes. Brooklyn tussling with her brother, after much concentration Charlie remembered his name was Julian. Julian squirting the two with water from his wand, Mr. Terrence coming out to chastise him for using underage magic. Brooklyn eating lunch with her and her family. And then, that year ended, and after Charlie's sixth birthday, the Terrence family moved across the country.

"Brooklyn…Terrence?" asked Charlie hesitantly.

"Yeah," James answered, distracted by the sky outside the window again. "You know her?" he asked, glancing up at his friend.

Mutely, Charlie nodded. She felt immensely guilty. Though she was not a very forward person, there was no excuse for not approaching the long-lost friend. Brooklyn must have also forgotten, she reasoned, or else she would've made the first move.

* * *

><p>At dinner time the next day, Brooklyn looked down the table to see the Marauders deep in concentration. She smiled wickedly, seeing a new prank brewing. Hoping that they would try to include her, she looked pointedly at them, trying to grab someone's attention. Lily Evans, her official new best friend, asked her what she was looking at so seriously.<p>

"Oh, just them. Those boys over there, the ones that call themselves the 'Marauders,'" she said. "It looks like they're trying to plan out a new prank. I sure hope it turns out right. You know, usually they ask me for help, but I don't think they're going to this time. I don't usually see them talking this seriously about the prank until they know the magic they're going to use, and that's the part they get from me. Merlin, it's so exciting!"

Lily was silent, staring at her excited friend for a few moments. After deciding that it wasn't a matter she wanted to respond to, she turned back to her soup and continued her meal. The blonde stared curiously at her friend. She knew Lily was a quiet one, but she usually had some sort of response to her crazy chatter.

"Lily?" Brooklyn asked tentatively. "Is something wrong?"

Lily shook her head, still not saying anything.

"Are you sure? You seem a little upset."

The redhead sighed. "It's just, the boys, Potter and his friends, they pull a lot of pranks."

Brooklyn did not understand. "Yes, I know. That's what they do."

"Yes," Lily continued slowly. "And I don't _like _it."

"You don't like it?" Brooklyn asked, shocked. "How can you not like it?"

Her friend did not look at her. "It's mean," she said. "And the people they prank don't deserve it."

Slightly taken aback, Brooklyn paused to ponder Lily's opinion. "I suppose that makes sense. But it's not about deserving it. It's just about having a laugh, and just, being a good sport, I guess. I mean, I'm sure if the boys were pranked themselves, they'd laugh about it just the same."

Lily shrugged, clearly not wanting to discuss it. "So how was Charms today?" she asked. "I found the spell we learned really interesting. I think it'll be pretty useful, don't you?"

Smiling, Brooklyn started to follow Lily's lead in the new conversation, glad their contrasting opinions did not affect their friendship. However, the two were interrupted by the appearance of a girl approaching them, oversized robes swishing around her.

"Lily," said Charlie authoritatively. Before she could open her mouth to continue, though, she caught sight of the blonde girl and stopped short. "Hi," she said tentatively.

"Hey," replied Brooklyn cheerfully. "You're Lily's friend right?"

Unsure of how to speak to her old friend, Charlie simply nodded.

"Sorry I never got a chance to introduce myself," said the blonde girl, unperturbed. "I hang out with Julian—my brother, that is—way more than I should, as a first year. But I guess his friends think I'm cool enough to hang out with fifth years. I've always hung out with him and his friends, especially ever since we moved to London. I used to live in the countryside, which was totally cool, but the city is so much cooler. Even though you can't play Quidditch all the time, you know. I definitely missed that. But the boys are fun, they always know how to have a laugh. Also—"

"I was your neighbor in the countryside," Charlie blurted out, interrupting her.

For once, Brooklyn was speechless. "Neighbor in the countryside?" she repeated, thoroughly confused. "No, no, we lived alone. There was a big hill in front of our mansion."

"Yeah," said Charlie, nodding. "We lived over it. We used to play together all the time."

"Really?" interjected Lily.

"Oh my goodness." Brooklyn turned pale. "Are you…Charlie? Charlie Benedict?"

Smiling, Charlie nodded once again. "I know, I forgot about you, too."

"OH MY GOODNESS!" She was squealing now. "I remember hearing the name Benedict and I know I've seen David and Edward around, but they said _Charlotte_ and I guess I just went mental or something because there's no way I just forgot that year!" She turned to Lily, who looked utterly flummoxed. "We lived near each other for a year in the country. My family was only in that mansion for a year when my dad's older brother went abroad with his family for his work, or something like that. Mum tells me that story a lot, I kind of tune her out. Me and Charlie played around all the time! Then we moved to the city. Oh, Merlin, it was so long ago I can't ever remember all of it."

"You still run that mouth at top speed, don't you?" Charlie teased her, amused.

"Oh, yes," said Lily, laughing with her. "That's why I have you, Charlie, so that I can get a few words in to someone."

Playfully, Charlie punched her friend in the shoulder. They dove straight back into trying to remember the year they spent together, with Lily asking probing questions, until a commotion broke out across the Great Hall.

Everyone at the Gryffindor Table turned at the sound of girls screaming. "SNAKES! GET THEM OUT! SNAKES!" All the students raised their feet up to their tables with earsplitting shrieks, and the students at the Ravenclaw table jumped up and stood on the table to reveal what looked like a hundred snakes slithering around under their table. Lily looked at the staff table to see Professor Dumbledore make a wide sweeping motion with his wand, and the snakes disappeared. Collectively, the Great Hall breathed a sigh of relief.

Professor Dumbledore stood in front of the four tables until silence fell and all eyes were on him.

"The professors and staff at Hogwarts," he began, "will do everything in their power to find the student who has played such a cruel and dangerous prank. Please remain calm, and head back to your dormitories after dinner is over. Thank you for the minimal panic."

Lily flinched in her seat; the twinkle in Professor Dumbledore's eyes was absent, replaced by a cold, hard stare.

"What do you think that was?" whispered Brooklyn, leaning in conspiratorially. Instead of the girls, the Marauders, who had moved to sit in front of them, responded.

"No idea," they chorused in unison.

"Creepy," muttered Lily under her breath.

"Yeah, it really was," said James, looking overjoyed that he had something to agree with her on. She hadn't been describing the snake incident, but she let it go.

They all walked back to the Gryffindor common room together, Lily feeling very uncomfortable. She noticed that the light-haired boy, Lupin, was straggling behind the odd group, looking weary and sick. Moving towards him, Lily opened her mouth to introduce herself, but was cut off by a large boy scrambling past bumping into her.

"Oi, watch where you're—" the boy stopped in his tracks, and Lily realized it was the Ravenclaw Prefect Radford, whose eyes, upon recognizing her, bulged out of their sockets in rage. "YOU! You again! Can you ever not get in my way? Stupid first-year!"

"OI!"

The group turned around in shock at James's voice.

"Don't you talk to her like that!"

Radford sneered. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do?"

"James," murmured Lupin, "move along. Don't. He'll probably win."

"Yeah, Potter," Brooklyn assented, looking at Radford in disgust. "He's not worth it."

But before anything could start, Professor McGonagall, with an extremely flustered countenance, rushed through the corridor.

"Come now, move along, students. Hurry back to your dormitories so we can get on with this curse."

As she pushed them out of the corridor, James noticed a look of scorn and the tiniest bit of glee and amusement in Radford's face before he went the other way.

Back in the dormitory, James would not stop pacing.

"Mate, just go to bed," Sirius groaned.

"I keep telling you, Sirius," said James, ignoring his friend completely. "That Prefect looked _happy_ when McGonagall talked about them figuring out the curse!"

"Of course he was happy!" cried a very frustrated Remus. "They should figure it out as soon as possible."

"No, no, no," James insisted, "it was different. Not like, relieved happy, but like…like he thought it was _funny_."

"You were seeing things, mate," yawned Sirius, "because you were all pissed off about whatshisface yelling at Evans."

"What? No! No, I-I wasn't! I swear!"

But after that, they ignored James as best they could and went to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **AAAAAAND here's the mystery! Here's the conflict! Welcome to the beginning of a great adventure! Please review!

-Maya:)


	6. Year One: Discoveries

**Forever Young**

Chapter 6: Discoveries

Flying was one thing that served as a tight bond for Sirius and James, and now Brooklyn as well. When they all had free time, they would fly around the Quidditch pitch for hours, chasing each other and making up their own games when they couldn't access the shed with the balls. Sometimes, Sirius would manage to break into the shed and they would use the real Quidditch balls, and if ever they were caught and stopped by Professor McGonagall, they made it a game, and a very thrilling one at that, to fly back to the broom shed as fast as they could to return the brooms and hurry back without anyone noticing. The three shared wonderful laughs over it many times.

Today was the last Quidditch match of the year, the last moment they had to truly enjoy before the only thing they had left in the year were exams. Until then, they could manage to avoid it. Despite Lily's insistence that she should study, Brooklyn claimed quite obstinately that there was no need "just yet." Lately, she had taken to spending more time with the boys, as they wanted even more than she did to simply forget that exams even existed. They were practically jumping in their seats in anticipation for the match to begin. It was Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw, and it was and extremely serious match. The winner would win the Quidditch Cup, and both houses were incredibly talented and skilled. For Gryffindor, it would be the first Cup for ten years.

"Great day for Quidditch!" James exclaimed. "I really can't see how Gryffindor could lose! It's just _made_ for our team. The way they practice and everything, it really just, I don't know, _fits_, with this weather, you know what I mean?"

"Not really," Brooklyn replied, yelling over the entire school's population. "You watch them practice?"

"Yeah," James said, nodding enthusiastically. "Of course! It's so amazing, just wicked, watching them practice so hard. It's like the game is their entire goal of life, and they become totally perfect at it. You should come out and watch them, too. I bet I could get you in, I know the Captain pretty well now. She always waves at me and calls out my name when she sees me at their practices."

Giggling, Brooklyn teased, "Ooh, someone's got a _crush_ on Jamesie! Sirius, I think it's _love_."

"Oooh!" Sirius added, "Are you going to _marry_ her, James? Wouldn't that be _just darling_?" They laughed wildly.

James turned bright red and made a disgusted face. "Ew, no! What—why would you even say that? That's right nauseating! She's…she's a fifth year." Brooklyn and Sirius quieted, but still giggled under their breaths. After a moment, James glanced around, and asked, "So, Brooklyn, is Lily Evans out here today?"

She shook her head. "No, Lily said she wanted to take the time to study. Why do you ask?" She tilted her head towards him and cast him a curious look.

"Just—just wondering, is all. You know, just didn't see her and was wondering, erm, why she might miss a great game of Quidditch. You—you know?" he stuttered. Brooklyn looked slightly bemused, but dropped the subject, as the players entered the field and the crowd roared loudly. Madam Hooch, a young woman who had recently taken the position as the flying teacher at school, called out the rules of the match.

"She's mad, she is," James yelled. "Completely mad. Or at least, she was, until the injury last year."

"What are you on about?" Sirius asked.

"Madam Hooch. She used to play Quidditch professionally, until she fell off her broom from up above the hoops and hit the ground on her back. Almost got the magic knocked straight out of her. They said without the magical healing available, she would've died, or maybe have been, er…what's the Muggle word for it…paralythized? Something like that…but anyway the point is, they managed to fix her up, but they said if she were to fly again and even have the slightest fall or bad twist in the air, then her spine would shatter again, and it'd take another six months of recovery. So she took the job here at Hogwarts. It's a shame, too. Excellent player, she was." James nodded smartly, obviously showing off his extensive Quidditch knowledge. His arrogance was not perceived very well by his two friends, both who were staring at him with wide eyes.

"Wow," Brooklyn breathed. "That's amazing."

Taking another look, Sirius said, in a tentative voice, "She's rather pretty, don't you think?"

Pink creeping onto his face, James looked down as well, taking in the sight of the young woman with short blonde hair in a pixie cut, with very sharp features and a booming voice. "I guess," he muttered quietly.

The girl with them rolled her eyes at the boys' ridiculous unwillingness to admit an attraction to a woman. She, on the other hand, had admitted a while back, very loudly at that, to liking David Williams, a Gryffindor second year. For a month, Lily had taken to using a charm that turned her deaf for as long as she needed, as to avoid listening to Brooklyn jabber on about the boy.

"He's just so…so _charming_," she had sighed, countless times. She had continued to fawn all over him up until the morning he threw up all over the Gryffindor table. He had just been lucky that he was one of the most talented players on the Quidditch team that nobody had teased him for that day. Currently, he was swooping across the pitch, covering Mandy Daniels, who was trying valiantly to hang on to the Quaffle.

James whistled. "Look at Williams go! None of the Ravenclaw players are going to get past him." His eyes twinkled with awe, but he had spoken too soon. Ravenclaw's captain, a seventh year and a star Chaser, flew in front of Mandy from underneath and rolled over to hang onto his broom upside-down, and snatched the Quaffle from beneath the action. The crowd around them gave a loud boo, James, Sirius and Brooklyn joining in enthusiastically.

Suddenly, Brooklyn turned sharply to the boys and asked, "Where are Remus and Peter? Why is it just you two?"

Sirius, grinning, answered, "Why, Brookie, you don't like our company? You'd rather be with Remus or Peter? Do you _like_ them?"

With a murderous glower, she shoved him hard. "No, I do NOT, Black, and don't call me Brookie. It's disgusting. I'm just wondering what might have broken up the "infamous" Marauders."

"Remus is ill," James responded vaguely, attention still focused on the match.

"Ill?" she repeated, brow furrowing slightly. "Is he all right? I mean, is it really bad?"

James shrugged, and Sirius responded, "We don't think it's that bad, but it's happened before, and he always looks a bit…I don't know, what's the word?"

"Peaky," James said. "It's what my mum said when she met him over Easter. He looks peaky."

"Yeah that's it. Peaky."

Brooklyn nodded, thinking. He had been ill before, several times. She sometimes had him as a tutor instead of Lily, but there had been times she'd never been able to locate him, and Madam Isadora, the school nurse, had confirmed that he was sick. There really was no reason for her to be worried, after all, he was in good hands at the school, and there was nothing she could do anyway. Her magical knowledge in any healing spells was very murky. She turned her attention back to the match, where Ravenclaw lead, but Gryffindor was catching up fairly quickly.

"OH MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT THOSE SEEKERS!" the commentator screeched. "THEY'VE SEEN THE SNITCH! THEY'VE REALLY SEEN IT! LOOK AT THOSE DIVES!"

The Seekers for the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams were brothers, and had indeed just flown into a nosedive, shoulder-to-shoulder, with almost identical looks of concentration on their faces. Brooklyn and Sirius were jumping up and down screaming their anxiety, while James sat frozen in his seat, unable to even blink. In a heartbeat, the crowd fell silent as the boys swerved upward, and then across from the three friends, the stands covered in blue erupted in roars and cheers: The Ravenclaw Seeker's hand was raised in triumph. Brooklyn quickly turned to look at James. While it was true that she enjoyed Quidditch very much, she watched simply for the exhilaration of watching a close game, not for any particular side she supported. It was flying more so that she loved. However, for James, whose entire pride was built on being a Gryffindor, this loss was heartbreaking. His face, as she turned to it, showed exactly that. Sirius was yelling curse words at the pitch, but his friend just sat on his seat, looking more crestfallen than a little toddler who had just learned that Santa was imaginary.

"You all right there?" she asked softly.

He nodded, seemingly dumbstruck. "It's okay," he finally said. "We'll do better next year. We'll have some new faces and new talent."

With an enthusiastic accord, Brooklyn led them off the stands, having to pull Sirius away rather forcefully.

Unfortunately, because of Gryffindor's loss, there had been no party in the common room. James, Sirius, Brooklyn, and Peter sat by the window in the corner as usual, discussing the match sorrowfully. Talia Woodsen, the team's Keeper, was crying while the team comforted her. The other seventh years on the team were sitting silently with them, shocked and depressed that, throughout their entire school career, were unable to take the Quidditch Cup.

"They look like such a sorry lot there, don't they?" Sirius said. His friends nodded in agreement. "I mean, to work so hard and never get what you tried for. It must be horrible."

James, who had been once again staring out the window, snapped his head back towards the group. "Next year," he declared. "I'm going to join the Quidditch team. We won't lose next year. I'll make sure of it." The determination in his young boy's voice was almost laughable, but the look in his eyes showed his seriousness.

Brooklyn smiled. "I'll join the efforts, I suppose. No harm in trying, is there?"

Agreeing, Peter shook his head. "Of course not. I guess I'll try out with you lot, but I doubt I'll make the team. I've never flown in my life before Madam Hooch's lessons. And I expect to get a straight T in her exam next month."

With a bark-like laugh, Sirius clapped his friend on the back. "There's no shame in failing, Petes, as long as you've tried. I'll do it as well," he said, to James this time. "And damn straight, mate, we will win!"

The friends happily cheered, but quietly, so as not to draw attention to their jollity while everyone else in the room looked like funeral guests. Lily Evans was sitting at the other end of the room alone, with her wand out, looking incredibly frustrated. James snickered at the sight of her.

"Look at Evans, there," he jeered. "Can't even get two sparks out of her wand!" Brooklyn gave him a scathing look; it was clear Lily had heard. She left the table with the boys and went to see what was bothering her friend.

"What's going on, Lily?"

"This—damn—spell—isn't—working!" she groaned, repeatedly thrusting her wand forward.

"Just calm down there," Brooklyn warned, reaching over to stop her hand. "You'll do something you really don't want to if you keep moving your wand like that."

Lily scoffed. "Yeah, I know that full well, thanks. It's completely NOT DOING WHAT I WANT!" she exploded, as did the tip of her wand, sending a burst of blue light in James Potter's direction. There was a bang as he fell back in his chair. Her face bore a shocked expression, complete with wide eyes and gaping mouth.

Stunned, James took a moment to pull himself up to his feet, red in the face.

"Wha…you just…you…Evans, you…" he spluttered.

Angry, Sirius jumped up as well and yelled, "Trying to mess around with the Marauders, are you?"

Still shocked, Lily was speechless, with her wand still in her hand. Sirius pulled out his as well. "This'll teach you not to try that ever again!" he cried, and hit her with a hex which, to Brooklyn's secret shame, was one she had taught him. Lily felt her head going warm, and then cold. Pulling at her hair, she realized with a horrified tremor that her hair, the beautiful red hair she was so proud of, had turned a sickly green. Shaking with remarkable fury, she raised her wand up, practically spitting flames. Unfortunately for the redhead, or rather, greenhead, the bursts of light and sparks had engaged the attentions of many older students, who immediately came to break up the problem.

Gene Fitzpatrick, the fifth year prefect, hurried over to Lily to see what was wrong. "Oh, Merlin," he breathed. "I'm sorry…er…what's your name?"

Petrified, Lily squeaked out her name.

"Okay, well, I'm very sorry about this Lily. It's after curfew, but I'll certainly take you to Madam Isadora for a potion that'll set your hair right. As for the boys," he turned to them, "who hexed this poor girl?"

Sirius turned his chin up defensively. "She attacked James first."

Gene glanced at Lily for confirmation, and she gave the tiniest shake of her head. He looked very sternly back at the boys. "She says she didn't."

"She did!" Sirius cried indignantly. "She hit him with a spell that sent him flying back in his chair!" He looked over behind him. "See!" he cried, pointing, "The chair is still on the floor!"

"Can anyone tell me if this is what happened?" Gene asked, looking around.

A second year raised his hand and said, "Yeah, I saw her hit him with a spell."

"No!" Brooklyn cried out. Sirius glared at her, but she continued, disregarding him. "She was practicing a spell for her exams," she explained, "and got really frustrated, so she was waving her wand around and accidentally hit James with a spell. She didn't know what it was gonna do. Sirius misunderstood what happened, so he got up and hexed her as revenge."

Looking at Lily, Gene asked, "Is this what happened?"

"Yes," she muttered, looking down.

"All right then," he said firmly. "Detention for you," he pointed at Sirius, "for hexing someone knowingly, and five points from Gryffindor for you," he pointed at Lily, "for practicing magic irresponsibly with lots of people in the room. It's only fair."

Sirius began to splutter angrily, and Lily turned bright red in her embarrassment. "Now come on," Gene said to Lily. "Let's go to the Hospital Wing."

Lily was back in her dormitory by night, though she had missed dinner. To her delight, when she tiptoed up into the room, she found Brooklyn sitting up in bed. In her hands was a piece of cake.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, shrugging. "I couldn't sneak out anything else. Just dessert."

"Oh, no," said Lily gleefully, "this is great! I'm so hungry! For a nurse, Madam Isadora seems to know very little about human health. She didn't even offer me anything to eat!" With that, she dug into her chocolate cake greedily.

Laughing quietly, Brooklyn asked, "So is Charlie still in there?"

Mouth full, Lily nodded. "Yeah. Her fever isn't going away, so apparently Madam Isadora is just giving her a daily potion and some magical herbs. She's bored out of her mind. I say we should go visit her tomorrow."

"Oh, great idea. And we should visit Remus, too."

The redhead cocked her head curiously. "Remus? Lupin? The quiet Marauder?"

"I suppose that's one way to refer to him," Brooklyn snickered.

"No, no," said Lily impatiently, "I mean, why would we visit him?"

"Oh, come on, Lily," she scoffed. "Just because you don't like them doesn't mean he's not _my_ friend. And anyway, he's not as bad. Not that the others are bad, they're fine. But I mean, in your sense, I guess I can see why you don't particularly like Potter and Sirius. Peter I'm not entirely sure, but I mean Remus is great. He's really nice to everyone, so I don't see why you shouldn't—"

"Brooklyn!"

"Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"

"I didn't mean why as in 'I don't want to.' I mean why as in 'why is he in the Hospital Wing?'"

"Wait," Brooklyn paused. "He's not in the Hospital Wing?"

Lily shook her head.

"Huh. That's odd."

"What is?"

"Nothing just, the boys told me he was ill, that's all."

* * *

><p>Trudging through the grounds to Professor McGonagall's quarters for his detention, Sirius was quietly grumbling to himself. It had surely been that Evans's fault that he was now going to be forced to clean the Great Hall without magic, or file McGonagall's papers, or worst of all, do his homework while she watched him. He completely understood now why James hated her so much. Before, he had just assumed she was an irritable girl who simply had a terrible attitude problem, but now he saw she was much more spiteful than that. And her friend Brooklyn had no business getting involved. Raving in his head, Sirius vowed never to go to her again for help for a prank. Remus easily knew as much magic as she did, and whatever they needed that he didn't know, they could find in the library. Of course, he wouldn't go in there, Remus or Peter would.<p>

As he approached Professor McGonagall's door, Sirius took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst hell Hogwarts had to offer. He knocked and Professor McGonagall opened the door. She seemed to have been waiting for him, as there was nothing on the desk that she may have been doing.

"Er…sorry, Professor? Am I late?" he asked.

"Not at all, Mr. Black," she responded curtly.

Almost subconsciously, Sirius's cheeky grin surfaced. "Of course not. I'd never keep your lovely self waiting, Professor."

Taking a shallow breath, the raven-haired woman motioned for Sirius to take a seat in front of her.

"Now," she said, "you hexed Lily Evans?"

"Well, you see, she cursed James first."

"Did she, now?" McGonagall's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "What, may I ask, was this curse?"

"Er…" Sirius was slightly stumped. "I don't really know, Professor. But the point is, she hit him with a spell and he flew back in his chair. _And_ she didn't put her wand away. I was only defending him to make sure she wouldn't harm him again. Clearly, he was in no shape to do that himself, 'cause he was on the floor, see." Even he was awed by his on-the-spot speech of bull.

"I see." Professor McGonagall paused, and stared at him for a long while. "Well, Mr. Black, what your prefect, Mr. Fitzpatrick has told me, is that Lily Evans was merely practicing a spell which then went awry. Do you have any way of proving that she _intentionally_ jinxed him?"

"I…I don't, Professor. But I do know she doesn't like him very much, and there's a motive there," he added helpfully.

"Mr. Black, as much as it horribly pains me to tell you this," she said with a hint of sarcasm, rubbing her temples, "if you cannot prove that Lily Evans was at fault, we will take the eyewitness's story. However, you, on the other hand, knowingly hexed someone, whether innocent or not, and we do not condone such behavior, especially from first years. If you don't remember the rules that were given to you on your very first day at Hogwarts, all students must bring any student to student dispute or conflict to a mediator, such as a prefect or a professor. There may be absolutely NO magical duels." Her black eyes penetrated his grey ones, looking for a reaction.

"Yes, Professor," he muttered, looking away.

"Now, for your detention, you will write three pages of lines for me. The lines will say, 'I will not raise my wand to hex, jinx, or curse another student without the permission of a professor again.' You may begin on that piece there." She gestured to the table, and walked away to work on something else.

He groaned inwardly. How he was going to get through the next hour, he had no idea. After having avoided writing full-fledged essays for the past year, Sirius was absolutely dreading writing three pages of lines. Desperately, he wracked his brains for quite some time to think of a way out. Finally, he gave up, and with a defeated sigh, picked up the quill, his only positive thought that he would not be in here again. Soon, Sirius and the other Marauders would come to know just how wrong that thought was.

The hour passed slowly and painfully, and with a rushed good-bye to Professor McGonagall, Sirius scrambled out of the room, rubbing his hand. It had been miserable and boring, and continued to fill his thoughts for the next few moments as he blindly stumbled in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. Of course, the detention had taken up his dinner time, and now it was almost curfew, and Sirius realized he would have to go to bed hungry. Cursing silently to himself, Sirius swore he would not speak to Brooklyn Terrence again, for selling him out to Gene had been a terrible, backstabbing crime that no true friend would commit. Suddenly, he looked up to see a painting of a bowl of fruit. Glancing around, Sirius realized with a hollow feeling in his stomach that he had no idea where he was. Extremely frustrated and exhausted, he sighed and leaned against the painting, placing his hand on the pear. It giggled.

Sirius let out a girlish yell, and was enormously grateful he was alone. To his shock and awe, the painting creaked open and revealed a tiny, dimly lit hallway. He took a quick look around to make sure nobody saw him, and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Following the hallway, Sirius came to a room that was much, much larger than the Gryffindor common room, and could very possibly come in second as the largest room in Hogwarts, only just behind the Great Hall. The walls were lined with stoves and ovens and freezers, forming the largest kitchen he had ever seen. And scuttling about, carrying platters and tray and bottles, vegetables, fruits, and meat, were dozens of house elves.

In his own home, there were three house elves. Tania, the oldest, was the mother of the other two, Kreacher and Sandy. Sirius hated Tania and Kreacher to the very last end. Sandy, the youngest, wasn't too bad, but only because she was too young to be brainwashed by the disgusting ideals the entire family held. The family incessantly abused them, treating them as inferiors, and punishing them severely if they made any mistakes. Although he disliked these ones greatly, Sirius held a hidden respect for house elves. They worked very efficiently, and when entertaining a casual conversation with them, Sirius found that they were rather interesting, happy even. As he looked around the kitchens of Hogwarts, several elves approached him with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"Hello, Master!" one squeaked. "Shelly is very happy to make your 'quaintance, sir! How may I help—er—be of service?" she amended when one elf next to her elbowed her in the ribs.

"Apologies for Shelly's no manners, sir," the other elf said in a slightly deeper voice. "I am Morrie. Is there anything you require tonight?"

"Hello," Sirius said, still a little dumbstruck by his discovery. "Erm, I suppose…could I have a serving of whatever was today's dinner?"

Within moments, three house elves approached him with full plates. "Thanks!" he said gratefully. "This is really great."

They bowed low, noses almost scraping the floor, and replied, "Anything to help the masters of Hogwarts."

He laughed lightly, and said, "I'm Sirius. Nice to meet you all."

"'Tis lovely to meet you as well, Master Sirius!" Shelly squeaked.

"No, no," he mumbled through his food. "Don't call me 'Master.' Just 'Sirius.'"

"Of course, Master," said Morrie. "Apologies, again. Is there anything else? Perhaps something to drink?"

"Yeah, sure, I'd like some water. Or some pumpkin juice, if you can manage it."

Morrie reappeared with both, one glass in each hand. "Here you are, sir. Can we help in any other way?"

Chewing hungrily, Sirius thought for a moment. "Actually, yeah," he said with a full mouth. "I, er, I actually have no idea where I am right now."

"Well, sir," a smaller, thinner house elf said, "you are in the Hogwarts kitchens!"

"Oh, yeah, yeah I know that," he laughed. "But I don't know how to get back to Gryffindor Tower from here."

The elf blushed lightly at his mistake. "My apologies, sir. Bree shall help you back after you've finished that food. We must clean the Towers soon. Bree shall take you then, Master."

Sirius smiled at her through his chicken. He had a feeling he'd be back here much more often.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **OMG two chapters in one day, whaaaat? This is awesome! I am also now done renovating this story, and from here on out everything will be stuff you haven't seen! YOU WILL BE EXCITED! THE BLOOD WILL PUMP FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF LIGHT IN YOUR VEINS! Please review!

-Maya


	7. Year One: Mind Blowing

**A/N:** Oh man, it's been too long! Here's Chapter 7, don't forget to review! The year is going to come to an end soon, and it'll definitely end with a bang. Can't wait! Also, should I make it a seven story series, or should I put all seven years into one story, or mush them together like the first two or three in one story, etc? Let me know! Thanks

~Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 7: Mind-Blowing

"Well, hello there, cousin."

They had just had a great laugh at breakfast in the Great Hall, and were heading back to their common room when a tall, blonde, Slytherin girl with sharp features approached them. Her icy glare, directed at Sirius, was cool and collected, not wild and furious like that of the girl next to her.

"Narcissa," replied Sirius coolly. The Marauders looked at him in surprise. In that moment, Sirius's entire demeanor appeared to have changed. He became much more poised and solemn, all traces of mischief gone.

"Auntie tells me you haven't written since her first letter to you," Narcissa said. Narcissa Black was Sirius's fourth year cousin, a girl who walked like royalty, like the queen who lives only to protect her kingdom. "She fears you're drifting."

"Tell Mother that she need not worry about me," Sirius responded in the same tone. "And tell her that whether or not I'm 'drifting' is unimportant."

"Unimportant?" barked the girl next to Narcissa, her younger sister Bellatrix. "It's far from unimportant, cousin! You were supposed to be with us, in Slytherin, so we could keep an eye on you. Auntie was afraid your ideas were too _radical_ for a Black, so she entrusted us to look after you!" She thrust her chest out with pride at the authority she had been given.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he said, and to his friends' shock he sounded like he meant it, "but you're going to have to tell Mother that I asked you to leave me alone."

Bellatrix looked outraged. "_What_?"

"You heard me, Bella. I'd appreciate it if you all _left me alone_." By now, a group of Slytherins had surrounded them.

"I do hope you see reason, Sirius. I'd regret to see you shame your family. We've been good to you, you ought to return the favor." Narcissa gave him one last look, and led her group away haughtily.

Upon looking at Sirius, his friends realized he had gritted his teeth in his anger. "Bloody Slytherin family," he hissed, apparently to himself. Forgetting about his friends, Sirius turned and stormed in the opposite direction. Not sure what exactly to do, they followed him quietly. Never before had they entered an encounter with Sirius's family; they had only seen them from a distance, across the Great Hall. Sirius rarely spoke of them, and when he did it was in very curt, brief responses. All his friends knew was that they did not get along, and that his family was full of pureblood fanatics.

Finally, as they realized they were going in the direction opposite of the Gryffindor common room, James dared to ask. "Are you okay, Sirius?"

Sirius jumped, startled out of his reverie. "Oh, er, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

They fell into an awkward pause again.

"Well…where are you headed?" Remus asked quietly.

"Oh!" Again, Sirius looked surprised, but this time he had a small smile on his face. "You'll see."

They exchanged wary looks, but followed Sirius nonetheless. After a while, they reached a portrait of a bowl of fruit.

"Bloody…wow!" James said, taking in the sight of the full kitchen.

"Wow!" Peter repeated.

"Sirius…how did you find this?" Remus asked in awe.

"It was after my detention with McGonagall a while ago. I meant to bring you all but I forgot." He grinned sheepishly. "Shelley, hi!" he said as an elf approached him.

"Master Sirius!" She looked absolutely delighted to see him. "How may I—oh! Master has brought friends!"

"Do greet them, Shelley! Apologies, Masters, from Morrie," another elf said. Sirius laughed and turned to his friends.

"This is Shelley and Morrie. Where's Bree?" he asked the elves.

"Shelley is afraid Bree has taken ill," Shelley squeaked.

"What?" Sirius looked worried. "Is she okay? Can we see her?"

"Shelley cannot allow Master Sirius to see Bree. They are curing her in the Hospital Wing. Headmaster Dumbledore has been most kind!"

"Yeah, he's like that," Remus said shiftily. The others looked at him oddly.

"May I ask the new Masters' names?" Morrie looked at them inquisitively.

"I'm James," said James, smiling. "I don't know if you know her, but our house-elf Melodie always talks about this nephew of hers, called Morrie. It wouldn't be you, would it?"

"Master James is Master to Morrie's Aunt Melodie?" Morrie asked incredulously.

"Yeah!" replied James. "She doesn't see you very often, but she talks about you all the time. She doesn't have kids of her own, so she likes you as a son, Mum says."

Morrie smiled widely at this sentiment. "And you, Masters?"

"Remus."

"Peter."

After eating a second breakfast (eleven-year-old boys) and spending time with the elves, the Marauders headed back to Gryffindor Tower. While walking up the last staircase, they ran into the Ravenclaw Prefect Radford, who looked flustered.

"It's not gonna work…it's not gonna work.."

"Excuse me?" James interrupted his muttering, causing the Prefect to jump violently.

"Are you mad!? I could've fallen!" he yelled, but then froze. "Fallen…" he whispered, looking ecstatic. "Fallen…" And he walked away, leaving the boys completely creeped out.

* * *

><p>"But I'm telling you, mate, that Ravenclaw Prefect is the weirdest bloke I've ever seen!"<p>

They were sitting in the Gryffindor common room under the pretense of preparing for exams, but were actually watching James rant and theorize about the Ravenclaw Prefect Radford who had apparently seemed "excited" when they had last seen him after the snake incident. Since then, the professors and staff at Hogwarts had traced the curse and, to everyone's shock, discovered that it had been a sinister one, found in the Dark history of wizards. Professor Dumbledore had announced, angrily, that the curse had not been an amusing prank, but rather had intended to do harm. James was absolutely convinced that Radford was somehow involved. His friends, on the other hand, watched him in amusement.

"Come on, James. There's no way he was involved. Yeah, the bloke seems a little off his rocker, but—"

"EXACTLY! He's completely, totally, outright off his rocker! There's no way he _wasn't _ involved!" The bespectacled boy had gotten up off his chair in his excitement.

"James…" sighed Remus.

"What?"

"This is really all based on Radford looking 'happy' about something stupid that McGonagall said? Did you ever think maybe he was happy about something else? Or, and this is just me going out on a limb here, it's really, really far-fetched, but I do certainly hope you're all open-minded enough to respect my opinion…he could have just been happy that they were looking into the curse!" Remus gasped in mock disbelief, causing Sirius to double over in laughter. James scowled, but stopped his theories. It was clear his friends had no hope of taking it seriously.

"Oh, bollocks, it's already two o'clock!" Sirius cried. "We're late for Charms!"

"You care?" the other three Marauders asked in unison.

"Oh, no, but we've got Charms with the Slytherins, and after this morning…" Sirius's face soured for a moment, before he grinned widely. "They'll get what they were looking for."

At this, Remus let out a loud groan.

"What?" demanded Sirius, looking affronted by his response.

"Come on, Sirius," the blonde boy complained, "I'm too tired for detention." It was probably true, he certainly looked it. For an eleven-year-old boy, Remus looked incredibly worn out and exhausted, with wrinkles and bags around his eyes. His hair appeared to be wilting, if at all possible, and his face was losing color by the day.

"Well..." James tried, "maybe we won't get detention?"

That earned a laugh from everyone.

In a hurry, with Remus lagging behind, the four boys made their way to the Charms classroom, shrugging nonchalantly at their staring classmates as they walked in late. James pointedly ignored Lily's glare. From across the room, the Slytherins who had confronted them earlier in the Great Hall watched them, smirking. Sirius's face and wand hand twitched simultaneously.

"Relax, mate," James breathed. "We can't get them good if you don't calm down."

"Can't we just do it another time?" Remus whispered desperately.

"Why?" Sirius asked angrily. "What's wrong with right now?"

Remus froze, an expression of pure fear darting across his face, and sat back, quietly murmuring his consent.

"Okay," Sirius muttered, "ready?"

The other three boys nodded, Remus holding back a squeak. He was sweating buckets, and his wand hand was quivering. No one noticed his chest heaving with deep breaths. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Remus!" shouted James. The entire class jumped to its feet. Professor Flitwick scurried over and pushed his way through the group of students who had now crowded around the comatose boy.

"Now, now, students, out of my way! Out of my way!" the small man cried, drawing his wand. "He's only fainted, it should be no problem to fix. Here, now, _Ennervate!_" The other Marauders breathed heavy sighs of relief as Remus began to stir.

"You three," Professor Flitwick said, pointing at Sirius, James, and Peter, "could you please take Mr. Lupin to the Hospital Wing? It's not too far from here, and with the three of you supporting him it shouldn't be too difficult." They nodded immediately, and supported him on either side of his body.

"Come on, Remus," encouraged James, "you're doing fine."

The other two repeated his words as they helped him in the direction of the Hospital Wing. In about ten minutes, however, they were forced to stop in their tracks when they realized it hadn't been the direction at all.

"Damn," James muttered. "I don't know where we are."

"We get lost way too often," Sirius groaned.

Just then, a pattering of footsteps approached them from behind, and they looked around to see a girl with dark red hair running towards them.

"It struck me that morons like yourselves wouldn't know how to get to the Hospital Wing," she said, smirking, "considering that you rarely ever spend any time in it as much as sending people there. Also considering that one of you put me there before, I do know the way, so I asked Professor Flitwick if I could help you get there."

"Help us?" James asked, dumbfounded. "But…but you hate us!"

"I do," agreed Lily with a grin, "but Remus never did anything wrong, and he looked really bad there." She bore a look of pure concern for Remus. James tried to ignore a sinking feeling in his stomach whose source he could not pinpoint.

"Thanks, Lily," Remus murmured faintly.

She laughed, and then led them the other way. They reached the Hospital Wing to see a very surprised Madame Isadora.

"What are you all…oh my goodness, is he all right? What happened?" she cried.

"We don't really know," James grunted as he pulled the almost unconscious Remus into the room.

"Yeah we were about to…er…learn a spell," said Sirius, "when he just collapsed. Professor Flitwick had us bring him here."

Madame Isadora lifted the hair out of Remus's face, and upon seeing him, turned pale. "Poppy," she whispered. "Poppy, come here."

The other, younger nurse entered the Wing. She moved swiftly but gracefully, and despite her youth looked very motherly. She was new to Hogwarts and was not called by her first name like Madame Isadora, but preferred to be called Madame Pomfrey. At least, this was what the boys had heard; they had only ever encountered Madame Isadora.

"Oh dear, Remus!" Madame Pomfrey cried. The others raised their eyebrows at the first-name acquaintance. "All right, all right, all of you out. I've got just what we need, now your friend will be just fine in a few days' time. Hurry on back to your classes now, please!"

She had pushed them out of the Wing before they could open their mouths to ask the questions they were bursting to ask. With their mouths hanging open, they stood there staring at the large and very closed door.

"What…the hell was that?" Peter wondered aloud.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Lily muttered almost to herself.

"Do you think he's ill?" James asked.

"No, Potter, I think he just fancies a trip to the Hospital Wing. I'm sure a good chat with the nurses is really, really entertaining, don't you think?" Lily's whole face had shriveled up and turned sour.

"Oh, she got you there, James!" Sirius laughed. "Although," he said, suddenly becoming serious, "our Lily might be on to something—"

"I'm NOT _your_ Lily!"

"—something big. You see, my friends," he said, now turning to the group, "Madame Pomfrey called Remus by his first name, something I hear she's not too fond of. Now, there's only one way this can be possible, you see…Madame Pomfrey…is…Remus's…MOTHER!"

The group was silent for a moment. Then, all at once, Lily walked away silently, James punched Sirius repeatedly, and Peter burst out laughing.

* * *

><p>In the kitchen again, the Marauders contemplated the possibilities of Remus visiting and revisiting the Hospital Wing while shoving fresh cookies into their mouths.<p>

"I dunno, mate," Sirius said with his mouth full, "but I think tha' Remus can pretty much take care o' himself, righ'?"

"Shut up, Sirius, that's disgusting. I can see the cookie bits falling out of your mouth," James replied with a revolted look. "Anyway, yeah I'm I think he can take care of himself, too, but what if it's something big? Like what if he's really ill? I mean, I know Evans thought it was a right stupid question, but I didn't mean it like that. I meant, what if he's ill with something big?"

"I don't know, James," murmured Peter. "He could be, but how would we figure it out? It's not like we really know a lot of Wizarding illnesses. I mean, unless you do, that is. You might, even if I don't. Do-do you?" he stuttered.

"No, Peter, I don't."

"Mates, I think you're getting way too worked up about Remus's illness or whatever it is. We don't even know! What if they're just, I don't know, family friends?" suggested Sirius. "Anyway, it doesn't matter because whatever it is, Remus will tell us. He'll probably be back tonight, so we'll just ask him then."

But when they entered the Gryffindor Common Room, all they saw were a group of sixth years in the corner and the first year girls in the table against the back wall. They were whispering about something, but the Marauders, who hurried up to their dormitory without a word, didn't manage to hear any part of their conversation.

"So he just collapsed? Just like that? No sign of illness or faintness or anything before?" Charlie asked, looking alarmed.

Lily hesitated. "Well, I'm not really sure. I wasn't really looking at them before, only when the commotion started. Afterwards he looked really pale and, like, sweaty, though."

"Ew," said Brooklyn. The other two gave her look. "What?"

"Brook, Remus had a weird sort of, I don't know, _episode_ or something, and all you've said is 'ew.'" Charlie said with raised eyebrows.

"Well, sorry," she fidgeted uncomfortably.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"Well," Brooklyn began tentatively, "I've been, you know, friends with the Marauders."

"Yes?" Lily edged.

"And I've, just, sort of, noticed a few things about them."

"What sort of things?" asked Charlie.

"Oh you know, just the stuff that…is kind of noticeable."

"Brooklyn."

"Like, you know, how James is really obsessed with his hair, and Sirius is really obsessed with being, like, a rebel or something, and how Peter's really obsessed with the both of them, and…and…how Remus disappears every full moon." She said the last part all in one hushed breath.

The two girls were silent for a moment.

"What?" they hissed together.

"Hey, hey, look," Brooklyn said, throwing her hands up in defense. "I'm not saying he's a…_you know_, I'm just telling you what I've noticed."

"And what you've noticed," Lily repeated calmly, "is that Remus is a, _what_, exactly?"

"Brooklyn, this is just based on the fact that he seems to disappear around the full moon? How do you know that's not just a coincidence? It hasn't even been enough months for you to really see…" Charlie asked.

"Charlie, it's not just the disappearing. I only noticed the second month, and I remembered that he did the first month only because I was out at night looking at how pretty the moon was—don't lecture me, Lily—and just then the boys came out, minus Remus, and started talking about how they didn't know where he was. But I only remembered this the second time he went missing, because of the boys again, because apparently when one is gone the other three lose their ability to, like, function or something, I don't know, they turn to pudding or…" She suddenly noticed the other two girls staring at her. "Sorry. I just mean, I _know_ I'm right about this, because that's when I started to really pay attention, and I noticed that he gets ill, like progressively. He starts looking paler and, like, peaky, and just in general stops really eating as much. I started tracking the calendar, too, because it's so intense, you know? I didn't want to be right, but I didn't want to be wrong either. So I was checking the calendar, making sure, and yeah, during the last couple days before the full moon, he'd start talking less, and walking less, and he got all, you know, sweaty and pale like you said before."

There was a pause. "Have you stopped?" Lily asked. Brooklyn chuckled slightly and nodded. "All right, then. Brooklyn," she sighed, "I think you're right."

Charlie gasped. "But…but…a _werewolf_? At Hogwarts? But…I…no! There's no way Dumbledore would allow it!"

"And why not, Charlie?" Lily turned to her, her face reddening. "You've met Remus. Does he seem dangerous to you? Should he not be allowed education like any other student? Is he not like any other student?"

"I…you're right. Sorry, I just got a little thrown off there. I mean, you can't blame me! I just found out a boy I know personally is a _werewolf_. It's a little mind-blowing."

"I know," said Lily, her expression softening, "but it doesn't change anything."

"All right, all right, moral lesson later," said Brooklyn. "Can we get back to the problem at hand, here?"

"I _just_ told Charlie," Lily hissed, "there _is_ no problem."

"Bloody hell, Lily, I wasn't talking about Remus. You don't need to assume everyone's prejudiced." She glared at her.

"Sorry," muttered Lily, a sheepish look coming over her. "Go ahead?"

"Well," Brooklyn sighed, "the Marauders."

"Oh yeah," groaned Charlie. "There's no way the idiots know."

"Yeah." Lily nodded in agreement. "It didn't look like he'd told them earlier. But why's this a problem? He doesn't want them to know, they won't know."

"Lily, in any other world with any other people that'd work," said Brooklyn, with a knowing and slightly smug smile, "but not here. The Marauders are extremely loyal and decent people."

Lily scoffed.

"Shut up," the blonde said, this time smiling in amusement. "They're good to each other, all right? And they need to know so that Remus feels comfortable. The poor guy lives in fear the week before the moon because of what he has to deal with. It must be right awful, and I think he deserves some peace of mind, yeah?"

Stubbornly, Lily folded her arms. "I vote no."

Brooklyn stared at her.

"I'm sorry, Brooklyn, but I just don't trust them. I don't see why _we_ can't approach him with it and be his friends about it or whatever you're talking about."

"Whoa, Lily," Charlie interrupted. "They're not that bad."

"All right, if it's two on one, then fine. How about we compromise?"

The other two groaned, but remained quiet.

"So," Lily continued, "we don't rule out telling the Marauders, but we talk to Remus about it first. I don't want to do anything without knowing he's okay with it, or going to be okay with it."

"All right," Charlie said after a pause. "Sounds fair."

Brooklyn nodded her assent. Breathing deeply, the three girls headed up to their dormitory, preparing for a life-changing morning.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Whoa, so it looks like the girls know! Will they tell the Marauders? Will they ask Remus first? How will Remus react? And what's with creepy Radford? Answers will come, some sooner than others!

~Maya


	8. Year One: Good Friends

**A/N:** The kids' first year is going to be over really soon, and I think i'm going to put a second year in this story as well. Please review, I'd really like to know I have some readers out there.

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 8: Good Friends

"Oh my God."

"Lily, in the Wizarding world we say 'Merlin.'

"Oh my God."

"Lily, you don't seem to be understanding me, do you?"

"Oh my God. This is not happening. Today is not happening."

"Judging by the fact that everything and everyone around us exists, I'd say that yeah, it actually is."

Lily and Charlie were sitting at the Gryffindor Table at breakfast. Remus had yet to make an appearance, and they took that as a sign that Brooklyn was probably right. A notion about which Lily was absolutely panicking.

"I don't understand how you can take it so easily, Charlie. What are we supposed to say to him? When do we do it? I mean, obviously we do it alone, so right after breakfast we go to the Hospital Wing—"

"Which, if I'm not wrong," interrupted a smirking Charlie, "was actually the plan we had decided on last night."

Lily cast her a dirty look before turning back to her eggs.

"And anyway," Charlie continued, unfazed, "I'm not taking it easily. But Remus is the one who gets to freak out right now, not us. So, just calm down."

"What, is Lily freaking out about it?" Brooklyn had just approached the table. Charlie nodded. Sighing, Brooklyn said, "Oh, shut up, Lily. You can handle this stuff better than anyone."

Lily looked up at her fearfully. "Me? You've known for a while. How have you been able to handle it? I can barely take it and I've only known for a few hours."

Nonchalantly, Brooklyn shrugged. "Eh," she said simply.

Rolling her eyes, Lily groaned. "Am I the only one who's freaking out right now?"

"Why's Evans freaking out?" To the girls' frustration, the Marauders had chosen to sit directly in front of them.

Charlie turned pale. "Er…erm…well, see, what with exams and…oh! Yeah, she's scared for Charms. Because. Er. She…couldn't master the last…er…the last charm we did. Yeah. Yeah?" Charlie's oversized robes made swooshing noises as she fidgeted. James narrowed his eyes; he had always known her to be a bad liar.

On the other hand, Brooklyn was a smooth enough liar to gloss over her friend's flub. "Yeah," she said, shrugging calmly. "But we all know she's gonna be great. If there was anyone at all to worry about, I'd worry about you, Charlie." She turned to her friend with a laugh. Charlie's face turned sour.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know, just that Charms is so not your thing. Last time they asked you to levitate something, you set it on fire." Her grin was wide enough to cut her face in half.

Charlie opened her mouth to protest, but then put her head down in defeat.

"Hey, uh," Lily interjected loudly, "I think I'm going to excuse myself. You two coming?" She looked at her friends. Before they could react, the boys jumped up enthusiastically.

"Yeah, we should go visit Remus," said Sirius. The girls felt their hearts sink.

"Yeah!" exclaimed James. "I hope he's doing better. Maybe the nurses will tell us what he has."

Frantically, Lily searched her brain for any excuse she could find to make the boys stay, even going as far as considering to offer her friendship to Potter (who seemed way too eager to earn it) as a pretense. Thankfully, Brooklyn was far ahead of her. Under the table, she had whipped out her wand and hissed a spell under her breath without anyone realizing. All four boys' knees buckled and they fell over onto the seats, somehow unable to stand back up. As the Gryffindor table erupted into laughter, the girls took their chance to steal away without being questioned.

They ran up the corridor in their anxiety to reach the Hospital Wing. Not one of the girls had any idea what to say to him; each was counting on the other two to begin. When they finally arrived at the door, they were both thankful and filled with dread to see that Remus was the only person in the entire ward. Tentatively, they approached him, smiling awkwardly and trembling just very slightly.

Lily spoke first. "Hi, Remus."

"Hey." Charlie followed suit.

"Lupin," said Brooklyn with a grin.

He looked very weak but surprised and grateful as he smiled at them. "Hi. What are you all doing here?"

"Well, we came to see how you were," said Charlie quietly.

"Oh. Thank you," he replied. There was a long pause. "There seems to be an elephant in the room," Remus said, smiling.

Brooklyn made a face. "Do you really have to talk like that?"

"In English?"

"No, in _Lupin_."

He laughed, then winced, moving to clutch his ribs. Lily blanched and sucked in a breath. She hardly knew Remus Lupin, but she never disliked him like she did the other Marauders, and had always somewhat admired his magical skill. Still, she hadn't considered him a friend, but in that moment his pure and honest pain spoke to her, and drove her to shut her fears off and do it.

Silently she moved toward him and sat down on the bed next to his. With a deep breath, she placed a hand on his shoulder and began to speak.

"Remus," she said as kindly as she could, "we-we know what happened last night."

Fear, horror, anger, disgust, and more fear ran across the boy's face. "What-what do you mean?" he asked hoarsely.

She clutched his shoulder, determined to show him she did not care about his condition. "It's okay. We know what you—what you have to go through every, er, every month."

In a desperate plea of denial, he shook his head and smiled. It looked more like a grimace. "I have no idea what you mean. I'm just-just ill, that's all. They haven't figured out what it is…"

Smiling warmly, Lily shook her head. "Don't worry, Remus. If you don't want anyone to know, we won't say anything."

"Uh," said Brooklyn. Lily shot her a look.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," she muttered. "Just…you know. Tell him…tell him what he needs to know."

She turned back to Remus to see that he had tears in his eyes. "I know," he whispered. "I know. Keep my head down and you won't tell. Stay away from everyone and you'll let me by. I understand."

Horrified, Lily grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. He grimaced in pain, but she gave it no regard. "How can you say that, Remus? How can you think we'd do that? We only came up here to tell you that it's okay, that it's really okay that we know! Remus I-I can only imagine how horrible it must be to go through that. I took a few hours to read about it, and the transformation seems just awful. I-we came to say that we're here for you," she said firmly. "We are here for you, Remus. We will not, ever, ever turn against you because of this condition."

In complete and utter shock, Remus stared at her. "What?"

"You heard me," she said.

"Lily…I…you…really?" His entire body was shaking beneath his sheets, and his face was whiter than it had been the day before.

She laughed. "Yes, really. You can trust us."

For the first time since she had met him, Remus broke into a true, wide smile. "Thank you. Thank you, Lily. Thank you." He turned to the other girls. "Thank you, too. Thank you both. You're all wonderful."

"Yeah, yeah." Brooklyn waved her hand and came to Remus, apparently dissatisfied with Lily's speech. "Remus, listen. You and I are friends, yeah? Mates? Well then, you've got to listen to me. The Marauders, they need to know."

Fear filled Remus again. "No. No, Brooklyn, you don't understand—"

"Shut up. We know, and we're good, yeah? So who's to say the Marauders won't be any different? Come on, they're your friends. They're supposed to be your best friends! Of course they'll be fine with it. Probably more than we are, you know." She was babbling.

Remus shook his head violently. "No! No, Brooklyn, I-I can't! I'm not even used to you three knowing it. No one, seriously, no one I've ever known has known that I'm a—what I am. I can't just suddenly have everyone know! Please," he begged.

"It is asking a little much, Brook," said Charlie quietly.

Brooklyn sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just believe in them, Remus. If you don't want to, we can tell them—"

"What?" Remus gasped.

"Brooklyn, shut up." Lily's eyes were burning with anger. "Shut up. Right after we tell him we're okay with it, you go and scare him like that? We are not telling anyone. He doesn't want anyone to know, therefore, we do not tell anyone. Now, shut up!"

At this, Brooklyn appeared speechless, but it may have been simply because Madame Pomfrey entered the room to see what the noise was about.

"Now, now," she cried irritably, "this boy needs his rest! He's extremely ill, very serious magical illness, he needs to be treated!"

"Madame Pomfrey, it's okay," Remus said weakly. "They know what I am. They figured it out somehow."

She froze. "Figured it out?" she whispered. "Really? Well, we'll have to tell Dumbledore so that no one else can. Now, you three, out! You know what a night the poor boy's had, so you know he needs his rest!" With that, she forced the girls out of the Hospital Wing with surprising strength.

"I can't believe you did that, Brooklyn!" Lily still looked livid.

"Sorry," she replied, looking like she genuinely meant it. "But I really don't think it's fair of him to be around his friends all the time like he trusts them, but actually not trusting them at all."

"Actually," Charlie interjected, "I don't think it's like that. I think he's not used to trusting anybody at all. Werewolves aren't really accepted in our society, you know. It's probably really hard for him. And who knows what his parents are like. What if they think he's a freak? I mean, the whole Wizarding world does, so why shouldn't he be scared of that?"

"Well, it really doesn't matter," said Lily firmly. "He doesn't want them knowing. We won't tell them."

* * *

><p>"Damn." James had just sent his ink bottle flying across the room. "I'm never gonna pass the Charms exam."<p>

"Lighten up, mate," said Sirius, whose ink bottle was now floating so high it was brushing the ceiling. "You'll get the spell down. And anyway, even if you don't do as well as you'd like, you know you'll get top marks in everything else."

Peter nodded his head frantically. "Oh yeah, James! You'll do amazing in Transfiguration, Potions, Defense, Herbology, and I bet you'll even do just as amazing in Charms! Better, actually!" His face was almost glowing with admiration.

Grinning, James replied, "I love having you for a friend, Peter."

"I can't believe Pomfrey didn't let us in the Wing," grumbled Sirius. "I'm really starting to not like her. I hope Isadora scares her out of the place with her amazingness and her healing expertise or something."

James laughed. "I don't see that happening. Madame Isadora is probably the nicest woman in the school. If anything, _Pomfrey_ is gonna scare _her_ away."

"Nooooo!" Sirius cried.

They all laughed loudly. "I wonder what Remus could have, though," James thought aloud.

"Yeah, he's never said anything about it. Maybe he doesn't want us to worry?" Sirius offered.

"He's never gotten ill like that before, though," said Peter. "Maybe it just started. Oh! Maybe he got it from his mother!"

"Peter, his mother's been sick all year. Maybe even longer. Why would he get it just now?" Sirius scoffed.

"No, no," said James, holding his hand up, "Peter might be on to something." Peter looked as though he might die with happiness. "Seriously. What if it's the type of illness that takes a long time to spread through the body or something? Maybe he's been ill this whole time but the symptoms haven't been as serious because it takes, I don't know, a year to catch it or something."

Ponderously, Sirius nodded in agreement. "Well, do you think he'll tell us?"

James shook his head. "He must've known for a long time he's been ill, but he's never said what it is. We should probably do some research. It might help."

Sirius groaned. "No. I don't want to do any research. Exams are coming, James! Come on!"

Still shaking with joy, Peter said, "Well, that Evans seems like she does a lot of reading. Maybe she already knows the illness. We could ask her."

"Evans? Are you serious, Peter? She hates us!"

"We could tell her it's to help Remus, though," Peter argued.

"It's worth a shot," said Sirius.

* * *

><p>"NO!"<p>

Because they were in the library, it was quite a shock to see Lily Evans yell. The three boys started, and then glared at her.

"Evans, I don't know what your problem is. Remus is our friend and if you know what he's ill with then you should tell us. We just want to help him," James said icily.

"No. No, Potter. No, I will not tell you what Remus is ill with. Now, please, all of you leave me alone so that I can study." She hadn't made eye-contact with any of the boys since they had come in.

"Evans," tried Sirius, "please. He scared us the other day and we really need to help him. Just tell us."

"God, what do I need to do to make myself clear? I. Am. Not. Telling. You. Now, go AWAY!"

Scoffing angrily, the three boys turned to leave, but instead moved toward the stacks of books marked 'Wizarding Ailments and Illnesses.'

"Looks like we have to research," Sirius sighed. "Should we do it by symptoms?"

"I guess," said James dejectedly. "We have no other way."

For hours they scrolled through books, determined to find Remus's illness. Though it was left unsaid, something about Lily Evans knowing had had an effect on the boys that drove them to look through every book they came by. And, of course, there was the face that it helped them avoid studying, which, in the end, made the decision for them quite easily.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Last chance to have a say in my decision to make this story into a first and second year story! If i do that, then i'll make a sequel of third and fourth year, and so on. Please let me know any suggestions you might have, or just a review in general to show that you've looked at the story would be really appreciated.

Thanks

~Maya


	9. Year One: Radford

**A/N: And now we shall see the action unfold! I didn't want to make this just a classic friendship and romance story, so I knew there had to be some adventure and drama, so, behold! Adventure and drama it is! Please review for me, I'd love to have some input!**

**~Maya**

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 9: Radford

The first day of exams had been postponed. And so, the end of term exams as a whole had been postponed as well.

"No bloody way," James whispered as he read the notice. It was plastered too high, and the first year boys felt cricks in their necks trying to read it again and again in complete disbelief.

"How? Why?" Sirius asked in wonder. "I mean, I'm not complaining," he amended, "but why?"

James shrugged. "No idea, mate. But you're right not to complain. This is gonna be amazing!"

He heard a scoff behind him. A fifth year Hufflepuff boy, staring at the notice, said, "You all are lucky. O.W.L.s are still on. It's seriously unfair."

Just then, the Ravenclaw Prefect Radford walked by, appearing consumed in his own thought as usual, and bumped into the Hufflepuff fifth year. He looked up, but instead of giving him an angry scowl as James expected, he grinned. James couldn't help but note that Radford looked extremely odd smiling; the feature did not suit his face well at all.

"My friend," he said, "don't you worry about that."

The Hufflepuff boy stared after him before turning back to James and asking, "Do you have any idea what the hell that was all about?"

James and Sirius shook their heads.

Shaking his head as well, the fifth year boy muttered to himself, "Talking to first years, I must be really bored," and walked away.

"Sirius," said James excitedly once the Hufflepuff was out of earshot.

"Don't start, mate. I know what you're gonna say."

"But _Sirius_!" James whined. "You can't tell me you didn't notice that! That was bloody weird, that was!"

His friend bore an exasperated expression. "James, everyone has agreed that Radford is off his rocker. That does not mean he's a psycho out to get everyone. Okay?"

Persistent, James insisted, "Come on, Sirius! We have to check this out."

They were walking back to the Tower now, when Sirius stopped in his tracks. "Whoa. Whoa, whoa. Hold on, there. What do you mean, 'check this out?' Last I checked you weren't a detective, Potter," he joked.

James, however, was quite serious. "I mean it. Let's check it out tonight."

Sirius looked perplexed. "Er…as in…?"

"As in find him, follow him, figure out what he's up to!" James exclaimed impatiently.

"And who, might I ask, are we following?" came a voice from behind them.

"Hey, Charlie."

"Hi, Charlie."

"Damn." She suddenly looked cross. "I was hoping to sneak up on you."

"Yeah, well," James said, "we heard the robes, oh, I dunno, like, two floors back."

Sirius laughed. "Sad, but true."

Charlie puffed herself up. "I happen to like these robes, thank you very much."

"Hey, Charlie, did you hear?" James asked eagerly.

"For Merlin's sake, James, we are NOT _investigating_ that Radford, no matter how weird he is! Anyone has the right to be weird and bloody well left alone! Just let it go!" Sirius exploded. The other two stared at him.

"So anyway," James continued, ignoring his best friend, "did you hear? We don't have exams."

"Oh," said Sirius lamely. "That."

"Are you SERIOUS?" Charlie screeched. "No, really, really? How do you know?"

James nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! It was posted outside the Great Hall after breakfast."

"I didn't see it there," she said. Immediately, she narrowed her eyes. "James…is this a prank? This is a prank! It's to get me to not study and fail everything! Well, ha! It's not gonna work. I wasn't gonna study anyway, Potter!" She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air.

"Hey, Charlie!" cried Lily, who had just run over to the three first years. "Guess what? They cancelled exams!"

The girl in the oversized robes suddenly looked very sheepish. "Sorry, James."

Thoroughly amused, he grinned widely. "Hey Evans, what are you planning on doing in the free time we've got? I thought you might like to come investigate Radford with us."

"Investigate?" she repeated incredulously. "God, Potter you are SUCH a prat!"

"What?" he exclaimed equally incredulously. "I want to find out what someone, a possible _suspect of crimes_, mind you"—Sirius rolled his eyes—"and now all of a sudden that makes me a prat?!"

"No, Potter!" she shouted back. "You're a prat because you think you have the nerve to just judge people to be 'suspects of crimes—"

"He IS!"

"—when you're obviously no more important, less important even, than anyone else around here!" she continued, ignoring him.

Furiously, James opened his mouth to counter, but before he could say a word she had stormed off, taking Charlie with her. He glanced around, being watched by an amused Sirius, and tossed a hex at a Ravenclaw first year boy who was passing by them in the corridor.

"Hey!" shouted the boy indignantly.

Sirius and James were laughing. "Why are you complaining?" jeered Sirius. "I think you look quite attractive with boils."

"Are you kidding?" howled James. "He looks better!"

From a distance, Lily watched in disgust as, not for the first time, James and Sirius mercilessly picked on someone of weaker magical skill. Charlie watched her warily.

"Lily?" she asked tentatively.

"What?"

Charlie flinched at the irritation in Lily's tone, but she held her ground. "You don't need to hate them so much."

The redhead whipped around to glare at her friend. "I don't? Charlie, he is so arrogant and honestly, a complete jerk. Look at him, cursing Dawes. And that's not the first time he's done it either."

"You know the Ravenclaw?" Charlie asked in surprise.

Lily nodded. "Yeah, that's Michael Dawes. He's great in Potions."

"Okay, whatever you say, but come on, Lily! They don't even do that that often," she said earnestly.

"Oh, so just because they don't do it _often_, it makes it okay?" Lily rounded on Charlie again.

Throwing her hands in the air, Charlie replied, "I didn't say that. Just that you don't need to get so angry."

In a huff, Lily turned away and said, "Charlie, I don't mind and I don't judge you for being friends with them. But I am not, and you can't expect me to be just because you are."

Charlie said nothing; it was clear the subject was closed.

* * *

><p>"Why does she hate us so much?" James wondered aloud over dinner.<p>

"No idea," Sirius answered with his mouth full, earning a disgusted look from Charlie and a chuckle from Brooklyn. At the moment, Lily was in the library returning books she had borrowed to study for exams. The staff had yet to make clear to the students why the end of term exams had been cancelled, but somehow, no one seemed to be paying that matter much attention.

"So, anyway," said Remus, "I meant to tell you all the other day, Jefferson Anders and Mark Solof, two sixth year Gryffindors, were beating on these two third year Slytherins, I don't know their names, and they were using pretty interesting spells. One of them made the kid's legs dance, and the other one made the kid spin around in circles. I mean, it was wrong and whatnot, but I think if we found a way to use the spells for good—"

"Spells that can do THAT?" Sirius cried, eyes widening with excitement.

"Remus," tutted Brooklyn with an amused smile, "did you really think you'd be able to use _those_ kinds of spells for 'good?'"

"But…I…I mean there's definitely a way," Remus tried desperately. "We could, like, tweak the magic or something…"

"Ah, Remus," said Charlie, digging into her potatoes. "Give it up. The damage has been done."

Sirius was practically jumping in his seat. "Remus, Remus you are my hero! That is amazing! Why haven't we learned that?"

"Sirius, we're way behind the level of doing that to people, we only just mastered making objects move like that," Remus said, probably in an effort to stop his friend from causing Sirius harm.

"I bet you could do it, though," Peter piped up, smiling widely.

"Thank you, Peter," Sirius said, with a pointed glare at Remus. "James, did you hear what Remus said about new spells? James?"

But James was not paying attention; rather, his eyes were fixed two tables down on a fifth year Ravenclaw. Sirius groaned.

"Bloody hell, James, you are NOT still on that Radford!"

"He's up to something," James muttered. "I can see it. I'm following him tonight."

"How? How do you plan on doing that?" demanded Sirius.

"Last night," James replied, "I found something in the bottom of my trunk I'd nicked from my dad while packing."

"And that would be…?" asked Remus.

"I'll show you."

Again, Sirius groaned. "Just tell us, won't you?"

"No!"

They all shut up.

"Just no, okay? Trust me." Without another word, he turned back to his chicken, though still keeping one eye on Radford.

When the Prefect stood up, so did James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. They followed him out of the Great Hall, only a few paces behind, talking quietly. They weren't too worried about being seen or heard by Radford; on too many occasions had they seen him so lost in thought it took a solid person in his path to wake him from it. Once they were past the collection of classrooms, the crowd started to become scarcer. Glancing around, James pulled his friends behind a large statue and drew a large, silvery cloak out from under his robes.

"Oh my God," Sirius whispered.

"Yes," James replied.

"What…what is that?" Remus asked. Peter looked immensely relieve to hear his question voiced by someone other than himself.

In demonstration, James threw the cloak over his body. Peter cried out in shock.

"Shh!" hissed James, or what appeared to be him. Or rather, what appeared _not_ to be him.

"Where did you go?" Remus whispered in alarm.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak," Sirius answered, barely able to contain his glee. James's arm appeared from underneath, waving them under. They obliged. The cloak was so large, it fit all of them and could have comfortable fit one more person under it. Silently, the Marauders followed Radford up toward the library, muttering to himself and jabbing his wand in awkward thrusts.

"What do you think he's doing?" Sirius whispered.

"It looks like he's practicing an incantation," Remus whispered back. They watched quietly as Radford picked up a book, flipped through it, and then another.

James's attention, once again, was absent due to a mass of fiery red hair not too far from them.

"James," warned Sirius, "this whole following thing was your bloody idea. So pay attention."

"Sorry, sorry," said James hastily, turning back to Radford. He needn't have, however, seeing as Radford had turned his own attention to Lily as well.

"What are you doing here?" he spat at her.

Though she looked surprised at his nasty tone, Lily kept her calm and looked Radford straight in the eye.

"Well, I came to return my books, see, and I came across a good book and started reading it. If you had any cerebral strength, you'd have seen that. I've got a book right here that I was reading when you rudely interrupted me, and right in front of the book I've got a receipt for returning the books which says 'Proof of Return' in really big letters right here. Now, these are the only two items on the desk, quite visible, and quite conspicuous, so now it's my turn to fail to understand you and why you interrupted me to ask me such a trivial, stupid question." She had rendered Radford speechless. "Moron," she added.

Then, Radford's face contorted, and he growled at her, "You have no idea who I am or what I can do."

"No, no, I believe I do," Lily replied confidently. "You're Radford, one of the Ravenclaw Prefects, and you can babble about how badass you are."

All four of the Marauders were standing watching the scene with their mouths hanging open. Until of course, Radford stuck his wand in Lily's face and hissed out a spell with such hate it may have caused Peter to pee his pants just a little out of sheer fright.

There was a flash of purple light and then Lily was lying on the ground in an unconscious heap.

"HEY!" shouted James, stepping out from under the cloak. "Who the hell do you think you are, doing that to a girl?!"

Radford whirled around and sneered at James. "What are you going to do? I'll just do the same to you and it won't even matter because in a matter of days, I'll own this place."

"What is he talking about?" Remus whispered.

"What the hell does it matter?" Sirius hissed. "We have to help James!"

"No!" Remus said. "We have to find out what this boy is doing and then tell Dumbledore. Look what he just did to Lily! He's out for something and he's dangerous."

In those very moments, James had already pulled out his wand and started to hurl hexes at Radford, while Remus bustled the three of them over to the shelves in desperate search of a book.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A BOOK RIGHT NOW?" Sirius yelled, throwing the cloak off and running back to help his friend.

Unnoticed by Radford, Remus continued to search the stacks.

"Er…Remus?" Peter squeaked. "Why _are_ you looking for a book?"

"It's a book of Wizarding lineage. I want to find out who this guy is." Peter nodded, and ran his eyes over the stacks as well.

"Hey, is that it?" Peter asked, pointing to a book titled Wizarding Families and their Histories: 20th Century Edition.

"Wow, Peter," Remus commented appreciatively. "That was really cool."

"Yeah…well…I-I've got a good eye, I guess," Peter mumbled bashfully, but Remus was not paying attention. He grabbed the book and ran out to his friends, only to find Radford on the ground in boils, howling in pain, and James and Sirius valiantly but vainly trying to lift Lily up.

"Here, I'll help," Remus cried, shoving the book into Peter's hands. With the three boys' combined efforts, they managed to bring her up to her feet.

Out of breath, Sirius asked, "Hospital Wing?"

James shook his head. "If we take her there, we won't find out what Radford's up to."

"Forgive me," Sirius panted, "but how the HELL do you figure that one out?"

"If we take her to the Hospital Wing now, we tell Madame Isadora it was Radford, the Ravenclaw Prefect." For good measure, James flicked his wand at Radford with his free hand, sending a flash of white light his way and causing his face to sprout more boils. "Then, Radford gets punished for that, he gets a couple detentions, whatever. We take her back to the common room, we find out what he's up to, we take THAT to the headmaster, boom. He's gone."

"James, I just don't have the energy to argue. Whatever you say," Sirius groaned, and they proceeded to take Lily to the common room under the cloak.

They lay her on the couch gently, still covered with the cloak so no one would ask questions. Though it was rather late, it wasn't entirely impossible some older Gryffindor might come in after a No-Exams party. James insisted that the precaution was necessary.

"So," Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow, "how do you propose we do this?"

"Well," said James. "I…I don't know. I haven't figured that out. But I will! I will, I mean it!"

"Shut up," said Remus, grinning. "I've got it." He was sitting at the table in front of the fireplace and reading a book.

"What's that?" Sirius asked, leaning over his shoulder. "'What Radford is Planning and the Details on How to Stop Him?'"

"Shut up," Remus repeated. "It's a book on Wizarding lineage. It tells the story of a wizard's family basically. I thought if we want to know what's up with him, it'd be best to find out who he is. I didn't realize it'd be so useful."

"What do you mean?" James asked. "And how did you get it?"

"Well, when you two were blindly fighting a much older, more advanced wizard—"

Sirius and James both made sounds of protest.

"Hey! We got him—"

"—didn't even see it coming—"

"—amazing magic, that was—"

"Anyway," Remus said loudly, "that was when I was looking for this book. Peter found it in a heartbeat."

"Wow, nice job, Peter," James said, impressed.

"Blimey, Peter, I never knew you were useful," said Sirius, clapping the small boy on the back.

"So what I found," continued Remus, "are a whole bunch of useful facts about the Radford family. His parents were at Hogwarts, and were both found using Dark magic together in their sixth years, and were expelled. It doesn't say what they were doing, but it does say they went out with a bang."

"What's that mean?" Sirius asked.

"Well, basically, they like, went crazy and flew out on broomsticks, spreading fire with their wands all over the place. In the end, the smoke caused from the fire went up and spelled out, 'We will be back and we will rule.' Wild, right? I mean, Wizarding lineage books don't talk about personality or whatever, but I can assume these guys were really, like, power-hungry if they put up a crazy display like that."

"That doesn't matter," said James impatiently. He seemed to have figured out something. "They said they were gonna rule! That's almost exactly what Radford said! And if he said almost exactly what his parents said, then it must be like, like one of those crime things, you know, the copycat thing!"

The three boys stared at him in confusion. "You know, in crime stories, there was a killer and then years later there's a copycat killer?"

"Blimey, James," said Sirius in amusement. "I didn't know you were such a detective. No wonder you wanted to follow Radford around. You've been programmed that way."

James shoved him. "Anyway, if he's copying what his parents did, he's probably gonna do something Dark with fire. The books he had," he continued in excitement, "one of them was called 'Properties of Magical Fire and…Smoke…and something else!'"

"That's seriously a book?" Remus asked in disbelief.

"It was something like that, all right? That's not the point! The point is that this bloke is going to do something crazy! And we've got to stop him!"

"Hey! Whoa!" Sirius shouted. "Stop him? Stop him?! Are you serious, James? And shut up about my name! We are taking this to Dumbledore. We cannot handle that!"

"Oh, come on, Sirius! When have you ever backed down from a fight like this?" James was almost exploding in his adrenaline rush.

"I think Sirius is right, James," Remus said quietly.

"Remus! Not you, too! We can do this! It'll be a challenge!"

"Uh, guys?" Peter said warily.

They ignored him.

"James, I'm drawing the line here. This is bloody stupid! Following him around is one thing, and you SAID you'd take it to the headmaster. It was your own idea to bring stupid Lily Evans up here instead of to the Hospital Wing!"

"Guys?" Peter squeaked.

"Well, you know what, Sirius? It's just the Gryffindor in me and the man in me that needs to do this! I can take him on, I know I can!"

"What, now it's 'I' not 'we?'" Remus said loudly. "Use your head, James! You're being stupid!"

"Guys!"

"WHAT?" they shouted in unison, but they hadn't needed to ask, for there, on the couch where the invisible Lily lay, something was moving.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Big question for the reviewers: what do you think of James's crazy, hotheadedness? Does anyone think he was anything like that as a child? Does anyone disagree? And what about Sirius's seriousness (excuse the pun, yes it was intended)? He's always been seen as a sort of irresponsible, reckless prankster, so what's up with him being all responsible here? Come on, let me get some feedback, give me your opinions on my opinion! Hope you liked it and new chapter will be up soon!**

**~Maya**


	10. Year One: Here's To a Weird Year

**A/N: **I just looked at the date I first published this story, and I realized that in about a month, it will have been one full year since I started writing this, and that is unacceptable. So I apologize for taking so long and I promise I'll finish it much faster. Thank you for sticking with me so far! This is the end of year one, and I don't think I'm going to write a concluding chapter. I think I'm just going to continue with year two. This story won't contain any summers, but I did have the idea of writing a sort of "Extras" story with the summers in this story. Let me know if any of you would like that! Please and thank you!

~Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 10: Here's To a Weird Year

"Oh, no," James whispered, bolting over to free Lily from the cloak. There she lay, unconscious and spasming violently. "What the hell do we do?!"

"We do what we should have done," Remus said firmly. "We take her to the Hospital Wing, and James, you ARE HELPING WITH THIS!"

At the sight of the girl jerking in front of him, James was silenced into agreement. All four of them scooped her up into their arms, James stuffed the invisibility cloak back in his robes, and they headed towards the Hospital Wing. As they struggled to keep Lily's flailing limbs at ease, Sirius said quietly, "This is Dark magic." James felt chills of fear and guilt travel down his spine. It was entirely his fault. If he had not been so stupid, if he had not underestimated Radford's magical skills, Lily would be safe.

"I…I had no idea," he whispered.

"I know," Sirius replied. "None of us did."

"Do you think Madame Isadora can do anything about it?"

"I don't know," Remus said, "but I think Madame Pomfrey is better at this stuff, if that helps."

It didn't, but James nodded anyway. They finally approached the large doors, and the two nurses came running.

"Oh my heavens," Madame Isadora cried, lifting her hand to her heart.

"What happened?" Madame Pomfrey glared at the four boys.

"She was cursed," James responded. "We don't know what it is, but…"

"We brought her here right away," Sirius finished. James shot him a look, and Sirius sent him one right back. "We think it's Dark magic," he continued.

"All right, well, set her on the bed there, and we'll take care of her. You lot can go now," Madame Isadora said faintly.

"What?" James protested. "NO!"

"Mr. Potter," said Madame Pomfrey with her hands on her hips. "I absolutely will not allow four young _first years_ to sit in on something Dark. Go back to your dormitories now, or you all have detentions and fifty points each from Gryffindor." The guilt nearly took him over, but James acquiesced. The Marauders left the Hospital Wing, glancing worriedly behind them at the girl on the bed.

"Why'd you do that?" James asked when they were far enough away.

Sirius shrugged. "I'll back you up, mate, but only when you're not doing something _extremely_ stupid."

"And what level of stupid would you have called that, Sirius?" Remus said sarcastically.

"Very," replied Sirius.

Remus rolled his eyes and James almost laughed.

"Bloody hell," he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Will she—do you think she'll be okay?"

"Probably," said Sirius. "But now that we don't have to worry about her, we've got to think about how Radford's gonna set the whole bloody place on fire."

"I don't know anything about Dark fire," Remus admitted.

"Well, who's to say he's gonna use Dark fire?" tried James. "I mean, he could just use plain old regular fire."

The other three boys looked at him for a moment, and then laughed mirthlessly. "Yeah. Right," said Remus.

"Well," Peter said hesitantly. "I do know that Dark fire can't be stopped with water."

"No way, Peter. Really?" Sirius asked, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Tell me more. Is it also really, really hot?"

Peter blushed. "No…I-I-I only m-meant that D-Dark fire only s-stops one w-way," he stuttered.

"How?" demanded James.

"When it can't consume anything else," Peter said.

"Well, brilliant," Sirius said. "Wonderful. So let's just vanish the whole of Hogwarts, shall we? Or, and this a really great idea, let's vanish the whole world! You're really brilliant, Peter, really."

Peter turned even brighter red.

"No, hold on, Sirius," said James. "Peter, what does that mean exactly?"

"It-it means th-that it can be c-contained," he whispered.

"Contained?" repeated Remus.

"Yeah, c-contained. Like, if you p-put it in a b-box of some s-sort that it c-can't get out of, then it'll d-die because it c-can't con-consume anything anymore."

"Brilliant," James whispered. "I mean, really brilliant. So all we've got to do is make this magical box—"

BOOM! The four boys were thrown against the wall by the force of—whatever had caused the earsplitting sound.

"What was that?" Sirius cried, jumping to his feet again. It was no use, however, he was simply thrown to the floor again within seconds.

"The ground is shaking!" yelled James. "It's bloody shaking!"

Chills of fear and horror swept over them as, looking down the staircase, they saw a bright, orange light that appeared to be screaming. Hogwarts was aflame.

"Oh my God," Remus whispered.

"Hurry!" James shouted, struggling to stand up. "He started! We have to find a way to contain it!"

The fire was approaching rapidly. They could feel the heat from the flames licking their terrified bodies. Desperately, the four boys looked around the corridor for anywhere they could run, but the only way they could go was up. Moving as one, the Marauders bounded up the staircases that faced them and must have passed nearly a hundred staircases until they collapsed on the stone floor, gasping for breath.

"Bloody…hell…have we…lost it?" panted Sirius.

"I think so," James replied.

They could hear a faint screaming. "Oh God," groaned Remus. "We have to do something!"

"I know! I know!" yelled James, pacing frantically. If only there was something that could contain the fire. Anything at all.

"James…" whispered Sirius.

"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!"

"No—James—"

"Just shut up, all right? I can't think with you lot—"

"James!" Remus bellowed. "There's a door behind you!"

James whirled around. "What—what—that wasn't there before! Was-was it?" He had been quite certain the corridor was completely empty with completely blank walls.

"Let's go inside," said Sirius.

"No!" said Remus. "What if it's a trap? Who knows what other kind of Dark magic Radford knows!"

"Remus," said James, "it's the only thing we can do. The door must have appeared for a reason, right?"

"And anyway," Peter squeaked, "at least we might be able to get away from the fire."

With a deep breath, Remus nodded. The double doors were huge, almost reaching the ceiling, and covered with an intricate metal design. The boys' heads only just reached the handle's height. Grunting, James pulled it open, and inside they saw a miracle.

"Merlin," breathed James.

"Blimey," Sirius whispered.

"Do you think that could be…?" Peter dared to ask.

"No time to really think, I suppose," said Remus. "We've got to try it."

"Can we levitate that thing? It's pretty huge," said Sirius, his voice squeaking slightly. It definitely was. Inside the room there was only one thing, a giant, metal, cube-shaped box.

"It looks like steel, doesn't it?" asked Peter.

"If it's what we think it is, then it's probably not. It's probably some charmed metal." James was screwing his face up in concentration. He raised his wand.

"Hold on," said Remus loudly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm preparing to levitate this thing. I'm gonna need your help, so you should probably be doing the same thing," he replied irritably.

"Are you serious, James? We can't levitate that! Sirius was right, it's huge!"

"What!" He let his hands fall to his sides and turned to face his friend, face red. "We have been going crazy for a whole year together, doing spell after spell on Hogwarts students, and dammit, sometimes even Hogwarts itself!" He looked at all of his friends, one by one. "Nothing can stop us if we put our minds to something. I mean really, nothing. Nothing. Will. Ever. Stop. Us. Now help me!" Sighing, James resumed his position with wand at the ready.

"James," said Sirius softly.

"WHAT!" he yelled. "Are we Marauders, or aren't we?"

They all fell silent, a new hope surging through them. The fire was raging and consuming everything not many floors below them, and these four boys knew that they may well be the castle's only hope for surviving.

"All right," said Remus. "This is gonna take some serious power, okay? We're all gonna have to think of something that'll drive us. We can't just focus on the levitation, we have to have a reason, a motivation. Ready?"

Bracing themselves, the other three nodded. All four Marauders stood with their wands at the ready, staring at the giant box, willing everything else to disappear.

They'd never know it, but each boy had the same motivation, the same drive that night. Each boy, glaring at the box they hoped was truly a miracle, stood there and thought forcefully of each other, and their own personal gratitude they owed to their friends. For the Marauders were brothers, and in this instant could be called nothing else.

They whispered the incantation. Slowly, the box rose from its spot, gasps of disbelief and happiness escaping from the boys.

"Keep focusing," cried Remus. "We have to take it downstairs!"

"Do you all know the spell?" asked James vaguely, lost in the power of his own charm.

They nodded, partially to each other, and partially to themselves, and in one quick, fluid motion, they stabbed the air with their wands, shouting out a charm that was so far beyond their years that they felt foreign and ancient magic flow through their bodies, making their beings insignificant mediums. In a heartbeat, the box flew to its destination, the first floor where the fire was almost done wreaking havoc. Rapidly and frantically, the boys raced down the staircases chasing the box, shouting for any professor or staff member who could help them.

James was throwing curses and jinxes at every door, trying to get anyone outside. "Professor Dumbledore!" he shouted. "Professor McGonagall! We have a box to contain the fire!"

"It's never gonna work," Sirius yelled desperately. "It's not gonna work! They're all probably gone!"

"We can't control the fire!" Peter screamed. "What are we supposed to do? What are we supposed to do?"

Finally, they reached the bottom of the staircases and came to a halt at the sight before them. Standing in the Entrance Hall were the professors of Hogwarts, in a great wide circle with their wands up, surrounding a giant flaming mass they could only assume was the Dark fire. The fire was in contained in a large, golden bubble, lashing at the edge every few seconds.

"Potter!" screeched Professor McGonagall. "Open the box!"

"Oh! Right!" James shouted, flustered. "Er—alohomora!"

With a bang, the box flew open and all the professors swung their wands toward it. Fighting and screaming, the fire was forced to comply with the professors' magic and careened into the box, which then slammed shut.

An odd yet peaceful silence overtook the Entrance Hall. Every person breathed deeply, the breath of a warrior who'd just won a battle. Finally coming back from a state of reverie, James looked up at the professors, and was surprised to see Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall smiling, and quite widely at that, at him and his friends.

* * *

><p>Professor Dumbledore's office was a shiny medley of red and gold, positively pulsing with magic. His cheeriness was almost odd, and the Marauders found themselves wholly agreeing with the general consensus of Albus Dumbledore being the eccentric of the century. Upon calling them to his office, Professor Dumbledore warmly offered them comfortable seats, chocolate, which he then ate heartily, and then proceeded to sit in his chair and watch the boys for several minutes. Finally gaining the courage to express his discomfort, James cleared his throat.<p>

Professor Dumbledore turned, smiling, to him. "Yes, James? What is it?"

"Er…well, I'm sort of asking you that, sir. Why did you call us to your office?"

"An excellent question," he said. "And there is a very good answer to it as well."

"Yes?" asked Sirius hesitantly.

Professor Dumbledore paused again. "It's been many years since such Dark magic has been unleashed upon our school like that. Thankfully, it was cast in the nighttime when very few people were downstairs, and no one was gravely hurt. We were able to come to the fire quickly enough to contain it and stop it from doing more harm, and I must commend our brave and brilliant teachers for that after we've finished here.

"Like I said, we were able to reach the fire quickly, but after containing it we didn't have many other options. I myself was thinking about hurling the fire out the doors into the grounds and finding some way to protect the castle on it. That would have unleashed a very Dark and dangerous force into the world, but I was preparing myself to do it to protect my students. I felt I had no other choice, you see. My mind was almost made up when you four came into the hall.

"I was unaware that we had access to such a box that could contain the Dark fire, but Hogwarts does tend to surprise everyone once in a while," he said, eyes twinkling. "This brings me to my last point. There has not been such an attack on Hogwarts in many, many years. There has also not been such a display of bravery and courage in many years. You four have been an inspiration to me and the staff at Hogwarts, and tomorrow after breakfast you will have proven an inspiration to everyone else in the school."

The boys were speechless.

"Wow," breathed James. "Thank you, thank you, sir. That means…a lot. Thank you."

"At the moment, I cannot know how to give you the proper thanks and the rewards for behaving as you did," Professor Dumbledore continued. "But I assure you, you will be rewarded, and justly." He stood up, now unsmiling. "You should have come to Hogwarts staff right away, however."

"Professor," said James hurriedly, "there wasn't time, you see. We didn't even know until right before the fire started—"

"I am referring to the incident with Miss Lily Evans, James," Professor Dumbledore interrupted, raising his voice slightly.

James fell silent, staring at the ground in shame.

"You see," continued Professor Dumbledore quietly, "there is a difference between bravery and hotheadedness. Your hotheadedness tonight could have cost Miss Evans her life. Thankfully, you brought her to the Hospital Wing just in time, and our nurses are powerful witches learned in the Healing Arts. In short, she was lucky, and you do not have a life on your hands." He paused. "Bravery is not an act of pride. It is an act of fear. We are only brave when we are forced to be, when we are afraid. Keeping a cursed Lily Evans in your common room was not bravery, it was foolishness. As much as you will be rewarded for your role in destroying the Dark fire, you will have to face the consequences for your thoughtless actions."

The Marauders were nearly drowning in their humiliation. "I-I apologize, Professor," said James hoarsely.

"It is not me you should apologize to, James," said Professor Dumbledore kindly. "It is something to be remembered. I hope, if you take away anything from this meeting in my office, take what I have just told you. You may go."

Silently, the boys left and rushed down the stairs to the corridor, unwilling to be in Professor Dumbledore's knowing gaze any longer.

"She's never gonna forgive us," whispered James quietly.

"Hey," tried Sirius, punching his friend's arm and attempting a lopsided smile. "Maybe this whole 'hero' thing will work for you!"

Fighting a smile, James said, "I'm sorry, mates. I should've been more, I dunno, responsible or whatever. If she'd—I'd never be able to live with it, and I would've put on your consciences too, you know, like Dumbledore said. So I'm sorry."

"It's all right, James," said Remus, clapping him on the back. "This whole stupid ordeal is done with. Radford didn't get away with it, and he's probably gonna be arrested, let alone expelled. I suppose he deserves it."

"And hey," cried James. "We can't forget Peter in this!" He reached out to throw his arm around Peter's shoulders. "He's the one who knew about the box!"

"We're probably never going to find out how the hell that box came into that magic door on the seventh floor," sighed Sirius.

James looked at his friends, a mischievous look appearing in his eye.

"Oh, no," said Remus, holding up his hand. "Stop right there. I know what you're thinking. We have had way too much crazy in the last twenty-four hours, and I will not have any more in the next fifty years. And even then I'll have to think about it."

"Oh, come on!" said James, grinning. "How did that box get there? Hell, how did that door get there?"

"James," said Remus, enunciating every syllable, "we will never know."

He grinned wider. "Are we Marauders or aren't we?"

* * *

><p>The end of the year feast was like nothing they had ever experienced before, and while eating the luscious food that sat before them, all the first years thanked every higher power they could think of that they had six more years of this to look forward to. Despite the fact that Hogwarts no longer had a threat, school exams were not reinstated for the year. To the great dismay of the fifth and seventh years, however, O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were still given. The girls (minus Lily) had been awed and impressed after hearing the boys' tale, which, it was fair to say, had been stretched quite a bit to suit the listeners' ears. The Marauders were, in short, young heroes.<p>

"Tell me again how you managed to levitate such a huge box, James," drooled Vixen Carter, smiling and batting her eyes at James. The bespectacled boy grinned widely and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, you see, it was a moment where I just realized that if we couldn't levitate it, the school would burn, along with everything in it. I realized that we were the castle's only hope, you see," he explained, still grinning. "I just knew that I _had_ to do it, it didn't matter whether I could or couldn't, I just _had _to, or I'd never be able to live with the excruciating regret."

"I didn't know Potter knew big words," Lily muttered under her breath. Brooklyn snickered quietly. They were sitting across from James and the drooling girl, who was now sighing in a rather disgusting manner.

"How did you come by the giant box, anyway?" asked Charlie curiously. "I mean, last time I checked Hogwarts didn't have a lifetime supply of large fireproof boxes." She laughed at her own joke, and shoved potatoes into her mouth.

"Er," said James, glancing at his friends. Though they were unable to explain why, the boys felt that their discovery on the seventh floor should be kept between themselves, at least for the time being.

"Well," interjected Sirius loudly. "Our bravery and nobility in the moment was the only thing we could feel and know, so some parts of the memory are—oh, how shall I put it—_hazy_. We were, after all, so concerned and determined to save the school, that our only focus was just that." He folded his arms across his chest proudly.

Charlie, Lily, Brooklyn, and even Remus rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"And I suppose it's better that we don't remember," continued James, a mischievous glint in his eye. "The secrets of Hogwarts should never fall into the wrong hands. Not even the hands of those who put their lives forth to save it," he finished tragically.

"You lot better watch it," said Lily, unable to keep her mouth shut any longer. "Your new reputation as good saviors might just outweigh your old reputation as Marauders." She looked at her friends. "I think 'the Good Students' has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Maybe even better than 'the Marauders.'"

Charlie and Brooklyn laughed. "You know," Brooklyn teased, "Lily might be on to something here. Saving the school seriously outweighed all the wicked things you did all year. Damn, if you want to stay the Marauders, you better start rebuilding."

James and Sirius looked stricken. "Oh, don't worry," Vixen slobbered. "_I_ still think you're bad."

The boys exchanged looks. "Oh, no," they said together.

Lily opened her mouth to make another jab at them, but at that moment, Professor Dumbledore stood up and tapped his goblet. Everyone looked up at the teachers' table. Eyes twinkling, the headmaster looked across the Great Hall.

"This has certainly been a most eventful year," he began. "We had an attack on Hogwarts that almost killed many people. I trust that that event will be the buzz of all your summers, and I do not discourage spreading the knowledge of what happens to anyone who threatens our dear school. Let us not forget, however, the rest of our wonderful year together, and let us hope to bring those times into next year as well. I wish you all an excellent summer and I must remind the underage students that no magic is to be used outside of Hogwarts. Thank you all for a wonderful year!"

Due to the Marauders' role in saving the school, each of them received enough points to win Gryffindor the House Cup by a landslide. Lily managed to get in another snide comment about the "so-called" Marauders gaining house points instead of losing them. Though they'd never admit it, the boys were slightly worried that they were becoming a little too _good_ for their own tastes. But, as they each told themselves, it could easily be fixed next year, and the year after that, and the year after that…

On the train home, they thought about what a year it had been. Staring out the window, Sirius pondered how it may have turned out if he had been Sorted into Slytherin, and thanked his lucky starts that he had not, and that he had met people who embraced the rebel in him, rather than scorned it. He scowled as he thought about what the summer would be like, with his parents turning their noses up at their Gryffindor son.

"What's up, Sirius?" asked Remus.

Sirius shook his head. "Nothing," he murmured softly.

Nodding, Remus turned away. Though he was relieved that he could spend a few months not hiding his secret from everybody, Remus still quaked in fear thinking about the next year, when he would have to continue making up elaborate lies to cover up the truth. As he looked around at his friends, he thought back to what Brooklyn had said. Should he believe in them? Should he tell them the truth?

"This summer is gonna be excellent," said James, laughing. "I can't wait to do all sorts of hexes on Cam."

"James," sighed Remus. "I get it, little sister is probably annoying. But you can't do spells outside of Hogwarts. Dumbledore just told us that not three hours ago."

"Yes, he did," James replied, eyes glinting with mischief. "I suppose you can follow that rule if you want. I, on the other hand, will live on the edge like the true Marauder I am."

Remus threw his hands up in the air in surrender. "Suit yourself."

Peter laughed at them, his insides swelling with gratitude that they had been so accepting of a loser like himself. In the beginning of the year, he'd had no idea why he'd been Sorted into Gryffindor; he knew nothing of bravery and he had nothing to be proud of. Now, he knew he was at least proud that he'd made the best friends anyone could have ever known.

"I wonder where the girls are," Sirius said, glancing at the compartment door.

"They won't come," said James. "Evans is never gonna forgive me, or us for that night. She doesn't even speak to us, except to insult us."

It was true, for at that moment the girls were sitting in a compartment almost on the other side of the train from the boys, cursing them angrily.

"You're so right, Lily," said Charlie. "I mean, I can't hate them, but what they did was really stupid. I don't blame you for not ever forgiving them."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, I just want them to stay out of my way from now on."

"Oh, they will," said Brooklyn. "We'll make bloody sure of it."

Sighing, Lily stared out the window. "It was a weird year."

"Nicely put," chuckled Charlie.

"Yeah." Lily paused. "Well, here's to another one just like it."

"Minus the fire and the psycho prefect guy," said Brooklyn.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And this concludes year one! I'm going to continue with years two and three, maybe even four in this story. Then I'll publish years five, six, and seven in a different story. Thank you all so much for your reviews, I really appreciate the followers and reviewers.

~Maya


	11. Year Two: Back on Board

**A/N: **I'm so sorry it took so long but here it is! Year two! Lots of things happened over summer, but you only get what you need to know until I publish Forever Young Summers! I know this is a short chapter but it's only the beginning of the year. Who knows what'll happen in their second year? Read and review please!

~Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Back on Board

The September breeze was buried under the bustle of parents ushering their children onto the Hogwarts Express. After returning from a relaxing but eventful summer vacation, all the students shared the same comfort in the purple smoke that billowed out of the train, the warm glow it emitted, and all the familiar faces. Against the brick pillar stood Madeleine and Edison Potter, watching proudly as their son shoved through the mass to meet his friends.

"That first year went too fast," said Mrs. Potter.

Her husband smiled. "I think you're right. It won't be long before Cammie goes off to Hogwarts, too."

"That's not my name!" cried a little girl standing between them.

"All right, Cam, then," Mrs. Potter laughed. "You're going to be our little, precious baby now that Harley's ready to move out."

The little girl, Cam, pouted. "I am a big girl. I'm in the double digits now!"

"Ten years old is still a baby," commented Harley Potter, who had just approached.

"No, it's not!" she shouted at her brother.

"Harley," Mrs. Potter scolded, but with a smiling face. "Come on, Cam, let's say good-bye to your brothers and go." She turned to Mr. Potter. "I'd rather not run into the Benedicts today."

Laughing, she slobbered kisses all over Harley's face, and then pulled her husband with her to find James. As always, he was in the midst of several friends, and shoulder-to-shoulder with Sirius.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter!" cried Sirius. "Good to see you again."

"And you," she replied warmly. "James, have a great year."

"Yeah, James, don't get into too much trouble," warned his father. "And Sirius, you know I've said to call me Ed."

"Sure," said Sirius. He knew he'd always call them Mr. and Mrs. Potter. They left after a few more good-byes to James's friends, who then clamored into the train.

James could barely contain his excitement; he was practically bouncing in his seat. "Second year!" he exclaimed.

"I wonder if it'll be as eventful as last year," replied Remus with a grin. Though he didn't show it, he was more than ecstatic to see his friends again.

Peter, on the other hand, showed it quite conspicuously. "Switzerland was good, but I'm so glad to be back! I can't wait to own the castle with you three again! It's going to be excellent! It's going to be amazing! It's going to be—"

"Careful before you wet your pants, Peter," James smirked. The mousy boy fell silent, but his wide smile did not fade.

"We need a welcome back prank, mate," said Sirius, leaning forward.

"Right," replied James, mirroring his gesture and running his hand through his hair, which had grown shaggy over summer. "Now, we're second years. We're older men. Our pranks will obviously be hilarious, but they have to show some sophistication now. We can't just be clowns. We have to be sophisticated clowns."

Just then, Lily Evans and Severus Snape walked past their open compartment door. Lily's face soured instantly, as did James's.

"All right, _Snape_?" said Sirius bitingly.

"I should ask you that, _Black_," he hissed back.

"Come on, Sev. I had enough of _that thing_ during the summer to last a lifetime, maybe even two," said Lily, her acid glare burning through James.

"Oi, can we get a cleaner in here?" called Sirius. "And maybe an exterminator. That giant insect is leaving a trail of grease everywhere it goes."

Severus set his jaw and walked away with Lily without looking back.

"So you were saying, about a sophisticated prank?" prompted Remus.

"Yeah," said James, staring out the door distractedly. "Yeah. All right." He turned back to his friends. "All right, what we need to do is—" He broke off suddenly.

"Yeah?" pressed Sirius after a few moments.

"Aw, hell, let's give Severus and his Slytherin cronies pink hair."

* * *

><p>"Don't worry about them," Lily soothed. "They're arrogant berks."<p>

His expression relaxed a little. "Yeah," he said quietly, nodding. "What happened in the summer?" he asked her curiously.

Lily wrinkled her nose. "I _don't_ want to talk about it." They found their own empty compartment towards the back of the train and settled in comfortably. "Anyway," she continued, "I plan to not speak to _it_ for the rest of my time at Hogwarts, and probably the rest of my life if I ever have to see him—it—after that."

There was a knock on the compartment door, and Brooklyn and Charlie came in all smiles.

"Hey!" cried Charlie, throwing her arms around Lily. "Sorry I didn't write after my birthday. We just got so busy with Edward's career prep or something. He did this internship thing at the Ministry of Magic in France, so we all went on vacation out of nowhere!"

"So that's why you went totally off the radar," exclaimed Lily. "My God, I bet that was fun!"

"Oh, yes it was," added Brooklyn slyly. "Tell her who you met, Char."

"Who?" prompted Lily excitedly.

Blushing, Charlie said, "Tristan Everett."

"Ooh, the third year boy? The cute one?"

"Damn right, the cute one," said Brooklyn. "I keep cursing myself for not bugging Mum and Dad to take us to France for the summer. Would've been better than that bloody ball at Charlie's."

"Yeah, it would've definitely been better," agreed Charlie, wrinkling her nose. "That was horrible."

"Wankers," murmured Brooklyn under her breath. "Not at all sorry you couldn't be there, Lils."

Lily laughed. "From the sound of it, me neither."

"So can we sit?" asked Charlie.

"Er…well…" Lily looked over at Severus, who was pointedly staring out the window with a glum expression. "Sorry," she said to her friends. "I-I'm gonna hang out with Sev right now. I'll see you back at the castle?"

Slightly taken aback, but understanding, the girls nodded their assent and left.

"Tristan Everett? The Hufflepuff? You think he's cute?" asked Severus, still staring out the window.

"Erm, sort of, yeah. I mean, most people do. Why?"

He merely shrugged.

"Sev," she sighed. "It doesn't matter. I'm so excited for Potions!"

At this, he looked a little more alive. "Yeah, me too." They kept the subject off her friends and the Marauders for the rest of the trip.

* * *

><p>"What the hell went on between you and Lily, mate?" asked Sirius as he dealt a deck of Exploding Snap cards.<p>

James shrugged. "Nothing. Don't really wanna get into it."

"You sure?" asked Remus.

He nodded. Sirius opened his mouth to press him further, but Peter said, "Don't bug him!

There was a moment of shocked silence. "What?" demanded a very taken aback Sirius.

"He doesn't want to say," said Peter firmly. Sirius was speechless.

"Thanks, Peter," said James. "He's right, I don't. Let's just play, prank the Slytherins, and get on with second year."

* * *

><p>As the second year Slytherins stumbled angrily out of the train, trying in vain to hide their pink hair, the Marauders climbed into one of the large carriages without looking at who had already occupied it.<p>

"Bloody…did you see that?" Sirius howled.

"Yeah…yeah, they looked like they were gonna cry!" cried Remus.

"Ahem."

Startled, the boys looked around to see Charlie Benedict and Brooklyn Terrence, looking at them awkwardly.

"Er, hi," said Sirius, trying to avoid their gazes. James nodded, staring and the floor, and settled into a seat as the carriage began moving.

"How are you, Charlie?" Remus asked smoothly, unsure of his friends' sudden silence.

She responded with a wide smile she hadn't given to James or Sirius. "I'm great! You? How were the, er, months?"

Remus paled slightly at the hidden meaning of her question, gulped, and said with a difficult smile, "They were all right. Better than most." Charlie nodded sympathetically.

"How was your birthday, Charlie?" asked Peter. "Sorry I missed it."

"Oh, don't be," she scoffed, giving James a furtive look. "Two parties this summer, both awful. But the birthday part was fine, thanks for asking."

"I'm great, too, thanks," said Brooklyn sarcastically.

"Sorry," Remus laughed. "I was getting to that."

"Lovely. Well, now that we've all passed the small talk, tell me what the big ones are this year!" she said excitedly.

"Er, what?" said James.

"The big pranks, obviously! I can't wait to bloody destroy Severus Snape and those greasy friends of his."

"What did he do to you?" asked Sirius in surprise.

Brooklyn stiffened very slightly upon locking eyes with Sirius, and then continued, "He's just a bloody git to Lily."

"_What_?!" demanded James. "What did he do to her?"

Shrugging, she replied, "He's just a git. He's not a friend."

"Whatever," said James, waving it off. "I don't care. I just agree with Brooklyn—we're gonna get them really good this year."

"Where is Lily, anyway?" asked Peter, looking confused.

"She's with him—Severus. We found her in a compartment with him and talked to her for a bit, but then she asked us to leave because poor Snape was getting pouty," Charlie answered, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "I guess she's probably with him now."

They took a moment to curse Snape in their minds, and then fell into half-awkward, half-comfortable conversation.

The summer had been, put briefly, extremely chaotic. Each person had ridden a wild roller coaster with extremely unexpected moments, which resulted in extremely uncomfortable results. Beneath her robes, Charlie's fists were clenched, and her teeth ground together as she looked at James. Her breath flowed slightly raggedly, though her smile hid the anger quite well. Mostly, she avoided speaking to him more than she had to, but enjoyed laughing with Remus and Peter. On the other hand, James's effort to look anywhere but at Charlie was quite obvious. Whenever she opened her mouth, he seemed to lapse into a strange, awake coma. Sirius knew to keep out of it, but Remus, in the dark about what had happened between them in the summer, tried to prompt a conversation out of them, and failed miserably.

Though he was laughing, Sirius's insides were turning with guilt, as they had been doing for about a month. He knew no one could see it, but he felt his robes were positively dripping with ice-cold sweat. He knew the incident hadn't been his doing, but he felt responsible for somehow prompting it. Brooklyn watched him converse with James and shivered slightly. His hair was different since she had last seen him, and it suited him. She smiled to herself, then stopped, and quailed at the thought of what her brother was going to say when he saw them walk out of the carriage together.

_Flashback_

_"It was bloody embarrassing!" Julian fumed, pacing. "And completely out of order!"_

_"Julian," his mother attempted to soothe, "relax. It's just how they are."_

_"They have no right to treat her that way, regardless of who they think they are!" he shouted, pointing at Brooklyn who sat quivering on the couch._

_"Julian, shut up," said Mr. Terrence firmly. "It was certainly unfair and cruel, but there is no need to make such a big deal out of it. It'll only upset your sister more."_

_"Did you hear what they said, Dad?" he shrieked._

_"Yes," Mr. Terrence said loudly. "I did. So you will shut up now."_

_Brooklyn, desperate not to let tears fall past her eyes, croaked, "Yeah, Julian. Please."_

Again, she shivered. She hoped Lily was doing a little bit better than she was.

* * *

><p>Lily could barely keep the scowl off her face. Hurt and embarrassed though she was, she was a proud girl and no way would she show her real emotions in front of the disgusting Slytherin boys. Throughout the whole carriage ride they made foul jokes about cruel pranks they'd played on girls or smaller kids or Muggle-borns. They made the Marauders' pranks seem like sweet flowers handed generously and genuinely to criminals. For the most part, they ignored her completely, except when a boy called Avery glanced at her and unabashedly asked, "Do Mudbloods sleep in normal beds at night?"<p>

Lily nodded and said, "Yes, we _Muggle-borns_ do."

Looking away, Avery shrugged and replied, "I heard they don't."

Shocked and offended, Lily looked at Severus to come to her aid, but he was pointedly staring in the other direction. Before stepping into the carriage, she'd known it was a terrible idea, but she did so anyway so as not to upset Severus. He'd asked her quietly, out of the presence of his friends, if she would sit with him in their carriage. The idea of his pureblood supremacist friends sent nervous shivers down her body, but Lily had simply smiled and nodded, trying to hid her discomfort. Even though she'd known that his friends held great distaste for people like her, she was still unprepared for Avery's simple yet extremely hurtful comment. She tried to swallow the tightness in her throat, but somehow it only seemed to be growing. Without another word, she glared out of the window for the rest of the short ride to the castle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** What is going on? There is some serious tension in the air between everyone! Tell me what you thought! Any questions, comments, ideas, concerns? I'd love to know and I do read every single one of my reviews, so please leave them for me. They make me very happy!

~Maya


	12. Year Two: Secrets of a Brooklyn Terrence

**A/N:** And here is Chapter 12! You find out much of what happened over summer in this chapter, and much more! This chapter is definitely dedicated to CrescentMoon12 for being my most faithful reviewer! Thanks so much!

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Chapter 12: Secrets of a Brooklyn Terrence

Sirius tossed and turned in his bed for a good, long month after coming back to school. Brooklyn's face, shocked and hurt, kept coming back to him. His mother's words at that party, harsh and clipped, rang like church bells in his ears. He didn't know why he was so upset, but somehow, he felt that it was his fault. Several times, he tried to write his mother a letter about the incident, blaming her, accusing her, but Sirius could never quite put the words down on paper. He wanted his mother to tell him she was wrong. Or even tell him she was right and explain how. That would at least put a rest to his troubles. He wanted to understand. He wanted it to be his fault, so he could then apologize to Brooklyn for something he'd done. Most of all, he wanted to know that Brooklyn was all right.

Finally, he decided he couldn't hold it in any longer. One Friday evening, when the common room was packed, Sirius found James in their corner by the window. The bespectacled boy was chewing the top of his quill and staring fixatedly at the blank paper before him.

"What's that?" asked Sirius, gesturing at the parchment.

"Bloody Charms paper. No idea how to do it. Give me an excuse to stop," James groaned.

"I've got one. I can't bloody talk to her," Sirius muttered, wringing his hands. "I have no idea why." He sat down on the arm of the chair James occupied, and glared at the red and gold floor.

"Brooklyn?" James asked.

With a scoff, Sirius rolled his eyes and looked back at his clueless friend. "Obviously! After my wonderful mum said that stuff to her at Charlie's party, I dunno if she hates me or wants to talk about it or just wants to never talk to me again! And I can't talk to her!"

James sighed and clapped his friend on the back. "It's probably 'cause it's just too awkward or something. I mean, it was really a show-stopper there at the party."

"Why does my mum have to do that?" he wondered miserably. "I mean, she's all about appearances. Couldn't she see that it was embarrassing for us? I still feel weird about it! It's like it's my fault!"

"It's not your fault," James said immediately. "You didn't do anything at all."

"Exactly!" Sirius cried. "Maybe I should've, I dunno, stood up for her or something. I just-just couldn't. Not to my mother."

"It's all right," reassured James. "I'm sure Brooklyn doesn't blame you. It was a while ago. She's probably over it now, anyway."

Sirius gave a heavy sigh.

"Oh!" James exclaimed suddenly. "You should talk to Charlie!"

"Charlie?" he replied, baffled. "What good would that do?"

"Well, you know, it's…a girl thing. Something about, if you wanna get to the girl, you talk to the best friend. Only that's like, dating advice…but I'm sure it works for this sort of thing too!"

"Did Harley tell you that?" Sirius asked, amused.

Looking away, James replied, "Er…no."

"Yeah. Sure he didn't. Anyway, that actually sounds like it makes sense. Maybe I should talk to Charlie."

"About what?" asked Charlie from behind him. Both Sirius and James jumped a mile into the air.

"Bloody hell!" James yelped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Why would you do that to us?"

She glanced at him and sniffed, and then turned to Sirius. "What did you wanna talk to me about?" Abruptly, James stood up and walked out of the common room. Uninterestedly, she watched him go.

"Er…well…I dunno," Sirius muttered. "It's kind of awkward."

"Well," said Charlie slyly, "maybe it'll be less awkward fifty feet in the air."

"Charlie Benedict," said Sirius, emphasizing every syllable, "are you suggesting that we go for a fly on the Pitch after hours?" His eyes twinkled with mischief and a hint of surprise.

"You'd be right to assume so, yes." Her voice shook with laughter.

* * *

><p>The wind sounded stormy blowing through the depths of Charlie's oversized robes as they climbed higher and higher on their broomsticks. It was exhilaration like nothing he'd ever felt before; it reminded him of watching faraway fireworks with Regulus.<p>

"I can't hear anything up here with the wind like this!" Sirius shouted.

"That makes it better!" Charlie yelled back.

"How the hell do you figure that one?"

"You can say what you need to say without me really hearing it!" she hollered.

Surprised at her understanding, Sirius accepted her idea. "It's about Brooklyn!" he cried. "After my mum called her dirty-blooded at your party and I did nothing, I just need to know that she's okay!"

Charlie swerved her broomstick around to face Sirius. They were still except for the wind gently pushing them back and forth. "Do you like her?" she asked seriously.

"Er, well, I-I like her. She's cool." Sirius tried to stare at the ground, but he found it gave his stomach heavy flutters.

"No, Sirius," she tutted impatiently. "I mean do you _like her_ like her?"

"Oh!" He thanked the stars above that it was dark, because the flush in his cheeks would have probably caused Charlie to fall off her broom laughing. "No, no, no, no, no! Not like that! I'm just—I just feel bad! My mum was horrible to her at that party."

Charlie scoffed. "Damn right she was. But Brooklyn's over it. Don't worry about it anymore."

"She's-she's talked to you about it?" he questioned, slightly shocked.

"Of course," she laughed. "We're girls. We talk about everything."

"Blimey. James was right," he murmured.

"What?" she shouted.

"Nothing!" he shouted back. "Let's go inside! It's getting cold."

"Anyway," Charlie continued after they had touched back down on the ground, "Brooklyn's family isn't _dirty blooded_, in your mother's terms."

"That kinda crossed my mind, but I didn't wanna question my mum," Sirius admitted.

"You better shut up about this," warned Charlie, stopping in her tracks and swerving around to face Sirius as they entered the hallway. Her face had grown stony and Sirius suddenly found himself trying to melt into the stone wall behind him. "I'm serious, don't tell _anyone_. Brooklyn doesn't know, but she's adopted. The Terrences are pureblood wizards, and her mum decided to adopt a Muggle-born girl. I asked my mum about it after the party, and that's all she told me. And that Brooklyn has no idea, and not to say anything to her. She hasn't brought it up, so I assume her mum found some way to cover it up. And I have no clue how in Merlin's name your mum knew about it."

Sirius felt his stomach turn. "Wh-what…why the bloody hell would you—what the hell, Charlie!? Why would you tell me a secret like that? What the—what—why?" he spluttered.

Robes billowing around her, Charlie simply shrugged. "Just better not tell anyone."

Absolutely dreading surviving the rest of his life with this heavy weight, Sirius groaned and hurried after her.

Meanwhile, after being bluntly ignored one too many times and having come up with a brilliant idea, James was stalking the corridors for a certain blonde. He walked with conviction, positive that she would know exactly why Charlie was ignoring him, and she would help him solve this problem that ate at his mind day and night. When he thought back to what might have happened in Charlie's home moments after he'd stepped out, utterly confused, James quailed and begged his mind to revisit happy thoughts of Quidditch and treacle tart.

_James let the door slam behind him and stomped angrily back to his own manor, wondering in frustrated confusion what had just happened. _

"_That Potter is a horrible creature! I totally understand why you hate him so much, Lily. I'm going to hate him too," Charlie cried. _

"_That's more like it, Charlie!" approved Lily, smiling evilly. "He's such a stupid toerag."_

"_Yeah! Let's all ignore him at school and put fire ants in his trousers!" cackled Brooklyn._

Or something more like…

_James let the door slam behind him and stomped angrily back to his own manor, wondering in frustrated confusion what had just happened. _

"_Who even wants that horrible person around anymore?" scoffed Charlie. _

"_You're totally right," agreed Lily, flipping her wavy red hair over her shoulder and rolling her brilliant green eyes back in her head. "He's just a worthless, old toerag."_

"_That, he certainly is. I'll be sure to tell Mum never ever to let him come back here again!" Charlie cackled._

Or even worse…

_James let the door slam behind him and stomped angrily back to his own manor, wondering in frustrated confusion what had just happened. _

"_Who even wants that Potter character in this world anymore?" Charlie fumed. _

"_We should get rid of him!" screeched Lily. _

"_Annihilate him!" screamed Brooklyn. _

"_Destroy him!" howled Charlie._

"_I know a Potion we can brew," cackled Lily. "I learned it because I'm so much better than James Potter!"_

These thoughts tormented him until finally he absolutely could not take it. Multiple times, James had considered speaking to Harley, but always shot that idea down because he knew Harley's girl advice would be more about things he really didn't need at the moment. Briefly, he had entertained the idea of conferring with his mother, but the awkwardness nearly caused him to pee his pants. At last, at long last, it was his own advice James decided to take, the advice that he had so brilliantly bestowed upon Sirius: If you want to get to the girl, you talk to the best friend.

So James found himself in front of the door to the library, the last place he could think of looking, and with a cringe, stepped inside. The vibe struck him like cold air in front of the Black Lake in December, and he fought the urge to run. By Merlin, he hated this place. Lowering his face to the ground in hopes that no one would notice him, James slowly moved around the library in search of Brooklyn. Just as the smell of books was becoming a little too overwhelming for him, he heard a familiar voice.

James made his way over to the back of the giant room, where windows lined the wall and a long bench with fluffy cushions was pushed up against it. Brooklyn was sitting with a girl whose back was to him, but when he saw the signature dark red hair, his eyes widened in shock and he turned his back, pretending to search for a book while he waited for Lily to leave.

"I seriously can't believe his mother actually said that to you," she whispered to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn shrugged, trying to hide the hurt from her face. "She didn't really know what she was talking about. My family's all pureblood, so yeah."

"Then why would she call you dirty-blooded?" Lily asked, confused.

"Mum said she probably had me confused with someone else, or was just having a bad day and needed to blow off steam at someone."

"Well…why you? I mean you've never met her before, right?" the redhead inquired.

Looking just as baffled, Brooklyn shook her head. "No, I never have. I heard stories and stuff though. Like, from my gran and from Charlie's family."

"What kind of stories?" Lily's tone became more hushed, more secretive. James growled under his breath. He knew people always gossiped about the Black family because they were becoming more and more prominent in the Wizarding world as pureblood supremacists. A lot of Hogwarts students gave Sirius odd or fearful or even dirty looks in the corridors, and James hated it. And now Lily Evans was one of them. He knew he hated that girl.

"I dunno, Lily. Just like…I dunno…just that they've always tried to use their money and stuff to get the Ministry to do their, like, bidding or something. I heard that someone in their family tried to pass, like, a Muggle-hunting law…" Brooklyn stopped short when she saw Lily wince. "Oh, Lily, sorry about that. Yeah, I know it's-it's stupid and nasty. We can stop talking about it."

"Yeah." Lily shuddered again. "Anyway, you called me to talk about something to do with Sirius right? Not just his mum…"

Out of the corner of his eye, James saw Brooklyn turn pink.

"Er…yeah," she muttered. "Well…it's kinda something I'm, like, confused about. I wanted to ask you about it, since you're all reasonable and stuff."

"What is it?" Lily prompted her.

"Well…er…when we came back on the Hogwarts Express, I-I saw him in the compartment while you were with that Sniv—er, sorry—Severus Snape. Well, you know, I saw all of them, not just Sirius…"

"You're rambling, Brooklyn," said Lily, slightly amused.

"It's just, like, his hair, you know? You know his hair? It looks…good. And his, like, eyes and stuff. They're black, but still warm, you know? And his…smile and…and yeah. And stuff. Do you-do you see what I'm saying, here?"

"Oh my God," breathed Lily. James was now very openly watching Brooklyn, hoping that he was just being stupid and interpreting her rant about Sirius's features completely incorrectly.

"Er, we say Merlin here, Lils. We've been over this." Her eyebrows were furrowed together, worried. "Do you get—yeah?"

Lily nodded slowly. "I…get…it."

"Do you think I'm weird?" Brooklyn whispered.

"Er…what do _you_ think?" Lily asked, avoiding the question.

"I dunno!" she cried helplessly. "He's…you know how he is! I can't…I just…Julian! Julian blames him!"

"Your brother?" questioned Lily, confused. "He blames him for making you like him?"

"No, no! He blames him for the thingy at Charlie's party! Well, he blames all of them. I don't, you know I don't. It was totally his mother, and even that it probably wasn't. I mean, she obviously got it all wrong. Like, seriously. But back to the point. I don't blame Sirius, but Julian does. If Julian knew about it…Merlin, I dunno what he'd do to him!" Brooklyn was panting at this point.

"Do to him?" Lily repeated. "But _you're_ the one who likes _him_."

James had had enough. Faking loud steps, he made himself visible. "Oh, you're here?" he cried in phony surprise. "Great! Brooklyn, I've got to talk to you."

While the blonde girl looked petrified, the redhead turned the same color as her hair, snatched up her books and stalked away, making sure to jostle James on her way out.

"James," squeaked Brooklyn. "Did you hear what I was talking about?"

"Er…no?" He tried desperately to fake an expression of mixed confusion and curiosity, and must have succeeded for Brooklyn relaxed very slightly.

"All right," she sighed.

"What was it about?" he asked with more fake curiosity, impressed with himself for lying so well.

"Nothing!" she cried. "What did you want?"

"Oh," he groaned. "Well, you were there at Charlie's birthday party."

Brooklyn winced and then laughed. "You made an outright fool of yourself, there, Potter."

"I know, Brooklyn, I know." He hadn't stopped beating himself up inside for being such a moron with Lily.

"I mean, really," she laughed. "First you were nasty about her friendship with Snivellus, then about Snivellus himself, then about her, and then about her schoolwork. Just make a pathetic pureblood joke next and you'll have gone all the way!"

James flinched. "Bloody hell, Brooklyn. I didn't mean to be so horrible. It's just that Evans pushes my buttons all the time! I just snapped, I guess."

"Sure, sure," she dismissed him, still laughing slightly and shaking her head. "What did you want from me? 'Cause no way in hell I'm telling you everything's okay, mate."

"No, no." James shook his head. "That's not what I want. I mean, okay, I know Evans is mad at me, and I should probably try to fix that, but fact is she and I were never friends."

"Your point?" inquired Brooklyn with a raised eyebrow.

"Charlie and I were—and hopefully still are—friends."

"Ah." She nodded slowly in her understanding. "You want me to make Charlie not mad at you anymore."

"So she is mad about that?"

"Don't be bloody daft, Potter. Of course she is. You insulted her best friend."

"I'm her best friend!" James cried indignantly. "We've known each other since we were born!"

Brooklyn shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm her best friend, too. I've known her almost as long. Sort of. I mean I was gone for, like, seven years. But still. Lily's _one_ of Charlie's best friends, and you know Charlie. She takes friendship and loyalty very seriously. As far as she's concerned, you were in the wrong, and Lily deserves her support."

"Ugh," groaned James. "You're right. How can I fix this? I mean, I want Charlie to…to stop being mad at me."

"Of course you do, James. Charlie's the coolest person ever. Besides me. I hope you figure it out," she encouraged, patting him on the shoulder before moving to get up.

"Wait!" he cried, seizing her arm.

"What? Merlin, what do you want now?"

"What? What—Brooklyn, I was asking you for advice on what I should do!" he exclaimed.

"You, Potter, are a moron," Brooklyn grumbled. "Just apologize. Damn."

"Really? You think that's all it'll take?" James asked hopefully.

Brooklyn smacked her palm to her forehead in frustration. "Are you serious, James? If all you want is for her to forgive you just so that _you'll_ feel better, then I'm not helping you."

With a huff, she stood up to storm away angrily, but James grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, wait, I'm sorry!" he pleaded. "I'll listen. I'm sorry."

"It's not about listening, dolt," she said, shaking her head. "Charlie isn't just angry, she's hurt and like, torn and stuff. Obviously, she'd rather just not be mad at you because, you know, you've known each other forever and all. She misses you. And you don't care about that."

"No! No, Brooklyn, I do. Sorry, I-I get it now. I'm sorry. Look, you could please help me out? It's been driving me insane." He gave her his best puppy-dog look, and finally she succumbed with a reluctant groan.

"Ugh, fine. What the hell. Just go and apologize to her, and mean it. And then she's probably gonna ask you if you're sorry about what you said to Lily, too, 'cause that's just how Charlie is. And then you're gonna say yes, 'cause if you don't _I'm_ gonna have to hear about what a prat you are for the next month." Brooklyn pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows at him, prompting him to consent.

"All right," James replied, nodding. "Er…how will she know I mean it?"

"If you mean it, she'll know, mate," said Brooklyn, patting him on the shoulder, and then turning around to leave. "Oh, and she might ask you to apologize to Lily, too," she called over her shoulder as she left the library.

"Wait, what?" James cried after her. "How am I supposed to do that?"

* * *

><p>In the corner of the common room by his favorite window, James sat at his chair wringing his hands. He had spent two days contemplating his conversation with Brooklyn, while shiftily ignoring her urging looks at him and nods in Charlie's direction every so often. Though Brooklyn had briefed him quite extensively and with great detail on the apology, he still had no idea what to expect. Would Charlie be incredibly angry and refuse to listen? Would she listen, and then throw the apology back in his face? Would she grow smug and demand impossible tasks from him? With these thoughts, his breath became shallow and increasingly rapid. As he waited, he watched the sun go down through the window and the sky turn a dusty blue. The night sky always looked beautiful from this particular window, better than it did from any other, James had noticed. Somehow, it always calmed him no matter how tense he was feeling, especially when the moon glowed through the window. It was near full, and with a slight jolt of joy James realized it would be a full moon in a few days; he had always thought full moons possessed a distinct, unique kind of beauty, though never in those exact words.<p>

"Sighing over the moon are we?"

James nearly jumped a mile out of his chair and whirled around to face his brother Harley. "Merlin, are you trying to kill me?"

"Wizards don't die of heart attacks," he replied obnoxiously.

"Ugh, shut up, I don't even know what that is. Go spew your Muggle Studies stuff somewhere else. Go away. Just go and graduate the school already," James groaned, turning away.

"My, my, young James seems frustrated and anxious. Why would Little Brother be so jittery? Could it be a girl?" Harley gasped in mock astonishment.

"Shut up," he muttered, much less aggressively. Harley looked genuinely concerned for a moment.

"Is something up? Is it really a girl?" he asked again, really surprised this time.

"It's-it's Charlie," admitted James. "I need to apologize to her about—something."

"Ah," said Harley in an understanding tone. "Mum kept telling me something was off, and I could sort of see it, but it didn't seem to really bother you, so I let it go."

"Yeah, well, I'm a good liar, then, I suppose," James mumbled.

Harley bellowed a laugh. "Yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Little Brother."

"Don't call me that!" he yelled after his brother as he strolled away leisurely. Suddenly, he froze. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl with a loose brown ponytail and oversized robes. "Oh bloody hell," he whispered to himself, and then got up to approach Charlie Benedict.

"Ahem. Hey Charlie," he greeted her awkwardly.

She looked at him in mild surprise. "So you're addressing me directly now? Good, it's been about two months since my birthday party—enough time for your guts to develop?"

James cringed. "Look, Charlie, I-I wanted to talk to you about that. Please?"

With a disdainful scoff, Charlie crossed her arms across her chest and waited for him to continue.

"Right. Er…well, I'm, erm, sorry. I'm sorry about what happened—what I did at your birthday party," he forced out.

She didn't respond, still staring at him with the same expecting expression. "Oh. Right, yeah. I, er, I shouldn't have said all that crap to Evans. I'm sorry I made you mad at me, and that I messed with our-our friendship. Yeah," he finished lamely.

He breathed a concealed sigh of relief as her expression softened. "James," she murmured. "I accept your apology."

James sighed much more conspicuously. "Oh, thank Merlin. It's been driving me crazy knowing you were angry. And that I made you so angry."

Smiling slightly, Charlie nodded. "Thanks. It means something that you said that."

"Great!" he said enthusiastically, still in a woozy state of pure relief. "Great."

They moved together to the chairs by the window and settled into them and into the familiar ease of being friends. "Sorry I took two months to apologize," James admitted sheepishly.

Charlie let out a laugh, a laugh he had sorely missed. "Don't worry about that. You're a boy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he cried indignantly.

"It means you're pretty useless when it comes to—well, when it comes to knowing how to do things in general," she giggled.

"I know how to do things!" he insisted, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

"Nuh-uh!" Charlie argued, still laughing. "I bet you couldn't even think to apologize on your own!"

"Er…er…no! No, no! I totally apologized on my own!" James bluffed.

Charlie raised her eyebrows at him in disbelief. "Really?"

"No," James confessed, hanging his head. "I went to Brooklyn for help. Well, first Sirius, then Brooklyn."

At this, Charlie burst out in uncontrollable laughter. "You are really pathetic. You needed to ask _Sirius_ for help about how to apologize to me, your best friend?"

"Well, no," asserted James. "See, Sirius came to me for help about Brooklyn first, and then I told him to ask you. Then, I got the idea to ask her about you. Like…like reverse…something."

"Good phrasing," she said sarcastically. Then, more seriously, "He came to me because of you?"

"Yeah," he affirmed, nodding slightly. "He was pretty bugged about it, I've got to say. It was weird."

"Why was it weird?" Charlie wondered curiously.

"Well…I dunno. I've just never seen Sirius all bugged out like that."

She nodded absently, contemplating his words. When Sirius had approached her, he had seemed a little unlike himself. The night and their tendency toward a less emotionally intense conversation style had certainly hid his feelings, but Charlie couldn't deny that there were _some_ feelings there. Briefly, she wondered whether he might _like_ Brooklyn, but she shook off the thought. She was way jumping to conclusions, and absolutely didn't want to think something that wasn't true.

"So, anyway," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously, "what are you willing to do to prove that you're sorry?"

James froze with sudden fear. She was going to make him do something ridiculous and embarrassing. She would make him dance around in women's clothing. She would make him serenade Marina Davis, the largest, most violent second year girl. Or worse, she would make him apologize to Lily Evans. She was still waggling her eyebrows at him, waiting for him to respond.

"Er…" His face contorted with anxiety.

Charlie let out a booming laugh. "Shut up. I already said I know you're useless. I was just joking."

"Oh," he sighed in relief. Again, Charlie raised her eyebrows at him. "Oh!" he cried. "Oh, er, oh no! No, I could definitely, er…do something to prove it. Yeah. I could."

Shaking her head, Charlie laughed again, and then wore a more serious look. Hesitantly, she said, "Lily doesn't like you."

"Erm, yeah. I know that, and so does everyone else." James gave her a look. Why would she tell him that? It was old news.

"I was gonna have you apologize to her, but she'd probably just hex you in some wild way. Her magic has gotten really intense, you know," she said with a dry smile.

"Okay?" responded James, confused. "I guess if you'd have asked me to, I'd have probably done it. Pissed my pants in the process but I'd have done it."

"I know you would," she said, nodding. "But I'm not. Because she doesn't like you."

"I'm kinda not getting your point here, Charles."

"_Don't _call me Charles."

"Sorry."

"The point," Charlie sighed heavily, "is that she doesn't like you. But you like her."

"I…what? What?! _What?!_" he shrieked. He could not believe her, the girl who supposedly knew him better than anyone else. What he felt for Lily Evans was quite the opposite of like. He would rather drown in a pool of bogeys before liking that redheaded creature. He would rather dive from the top of a cliff into a pit of fiery hot lava and sharp knives before even thinking about having positive feelings toward her. He would rather—

"Merlin, James, stop blabbering!" she cried, interrupting his thoughts.

"I'm not blabbering!" he insisted. "I was just thinking about how much I _don't_ like Evans."

"You were making a bunch of weird sounds," she said, looking concerned for his mental stability. "Don't try to deny it, James. You like Lily. You like that she's…crazy. That she gets so angry with you. I mean, I get why you don't want to admit it, probably your first crush or whatever—"

"Evans is NOT my first crush. In fact, I have a crush on that girl over there," he said stubbornly, gesturing across the room at a throng of giggling girls.

Incredulously, Charlie turned back to him. "Are you serious? _Those_ girls? Which one?"

"Er…you know. That one. The one in the middle. The blonde one." James fidgeted slightly, avoiding her eyes.

Looking back at the girls, Charlie replied, "Savannah Hodges? Again, are you serious? She's so…so vapid!"

"Yeah, Savannah. Hey, don't say that about her! She's, er, amazing, she is! I'm gonna go ask her out now!" With that, James stood up and made his way over to the group of girls, gritting his teeth and glaring. Charlie stared after him, shocked.

The girls stopped giggling and began whispering as he approached. "Savannah," he began, maintaining his angry and determined expression. "I'd like to go out with you." Again, the girls erupted into giggles.

"James Potter," Savannah squeaked. "I'd LOVE to!"

"Good," he mumbled. "Good."

"That boy is seriously a moron," Charlie muttered to herself.

That night, James and Sirius went to bed anxious and exhausted. Sirius was indisputably itching to reveal what he had learned about Brooklyn to James, and James wanted to do the same with Sirius. But they couldn't. James had spent the rest of the evening awkwardly holding the hand of Savannah Hodges and listening to her friends' tasteless chatter that she so enthusiastically joined. He liked Savannah. He did. Just because he had only learned her name that day didn't make his feelings any less valuable. Sirius had rolled around on his bed in hysterical, teary-eyed laughter when James told him. He didn't ask why, and he didn't particularly care why. He just couldn't wait to tell the whole House and the whole school about James Potter and giggly Savannah Hodges.

"This is so hilarious," he had crowed as he desperately tried to catch his breath.

Flustered, James had replied, "She's-she's pretty and stuff," while running his fingers through his hair.

Humorous though it was, both boys still slept in an uneasy state. Handling this new information about Brooklyn would prove to be the most difficult thing for two twelve-year-old boys to do. Little did they know much more was on its way.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I realize that this chapter was mostly about James, Sirius, and Brooklyn, and a little bit of Charlie, and didn't feature Remus or Peter at all. But don't worry, the next chapter will centralize Remus completely! Look forward to it, I know I am!

~Maya


	13. Year Two: The Monster in the Man

**A/N:** GASP! Another chapter so soon? Yes, that is correct, and it's because I feel terrible for taking forever to update this story! This was a very difficult and stressful chapter to write for me emotionally, and I do believe it paid off. Please leave your comments and reviews, I really, really want to know your opinions on this one!

~Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

The Monster in the Man

Remus woke up that morning feeling quite horrible. Not just cranky, wrong-side-of-the-bed horrible. Sick, pained, weak, hardly-able-to-breathe horrible. From the light pouring into the room, he guessed it was well past breakfast and he had slept in. It appeared that everyone else had already left, as the dormitory was so quiet. Sweat had drenched his pajamas and sheets; his hair was sticking to his face. He felt hot, as though his skin and insides were boiling, and he desperately needed a wash. Yet somehow, Remus simply could not lift the covers off his body. For nearly thirty minutes he struggled to lift his arms and escape from the heavy blankets. In the process, he managed to retch all over himself, sob violently, and piss his pants. He was a total mess.

While he was gasping for air after vomiting a second time, Remus heard footsteps running towards his dormitory. Dammit. He couldn't let his friends see him like this. They'd immediately ask to stay with him throughout the day, and worse, the night. True, Madame Isadora and Madame Pomfrey would kick them out of the Hospital Wing, but if he knew his friends, he knew they'd find a way back after hours. By then, he'd be gone, from the Hospital Wing and from his body. The monster would be there instead. And he couldn't let them know about the monster.

Tears streamed from his eyes and sobs erupted from his chest as he struggled to get out of his bed before his friends made it inside, but to no avail. The door slammed open to reveal Lily Evans, Charlie Benedict, and Brooklyn Terrence.

"Oh," he whimpered weakly. "Hello."

"Oh God, Remus," cried Lily, looking pained. She whipped out her wand and muttered a Cleaning Charm.

"Thanks," he whispered, feeling faint.

Charlie had run to the bathroom to get a bucket and a glass of water, and emerged carrying both and a sponge. While Lily fed him the water, Charlie sponged down his forehead and arms after peeling away the covers.

Feeling slightly more nourished and alive, Remus coughed feebly, "How-how did you know? How did you know I was here? And that something was wrong? Do the others know? James and Sirius and Peter? How about—"

"Bloody hell, will you shut up?" cried Brooklyn. "We just cleaned vomit off your blanket and face and had to feed you a glass of water. Just keep quiet and breathe a little before you start exploding again."

Guiltily, he nodded. He felt terrible for forcing this burden upon his friends.

"They haven't got a clue," Lily answered him kindly. "They said in Charms that they went up after breakfast to get you, but you looked pale and sick so they let you sleep. Then, Charlie remembered that tonight's the full moon, and we realized what it must be. So we came as fast as we could."

Again, Remus nodded. Incredibly grateful though he was, he couldn't stop feeling guilty.

"Remus, we should really get you to the Hospital Wing," said Charlie quietly.

"He's not gonna be able to move or anything, though," added Brooklyn, grimacing. "And there's no way in hell we can carry him. I mean, look at us. We're like flimsy rubber…thingies."

"Good, Brooklyn. You certainly have a way with words," Charlie responded sarcastically.

"No, seriously, though," she argued. "What are we supposed to do? We could get Madame Isadora…"

"No!" croaked Remus shaking his head and turning slightly yellow. "I don't want to make a fuss."

"God, Remus," murmured Lily, shaking her head.

"Are you a bloody moron, Lupin?!" yelled Brooklyn. "You were lying here for who knows how long and just puking and pissing yourself and you can barely move and you're going to go through a bloody horrible and painful thing tonight and _you don't want to make a fuss?!_"

"Please," he whispered. "People will start wondering. Wondering leads to theorizing. Theorizing leads to guessing. Guessing leads to knowing."

"Remus—"

"Please," he interrupted. "Madam Pomfrey said to keep this as inconspicuous as possible."

"Remus, there's incon-inco-incospiculus or whatever and then there's just stupid. You're being stupid," argued Charlie.

"We're getting you to the Hospital Wing, Lupin," said Brooklyn firmly.

"No…" Remus whispered desperately.

"…and the only way to do that is to get Madam Pomfrey or Madam Isadora," finished Lily.

"The only way to do what?" asked a voice behind them.

The girls whirled around to see the Marauders standing in the doorway of their dormitory.

"No…" Remus repeated in despair.

"Hi, guys!" Brooklyn greeted with faked enthusiasm. "We just came to check on Lupin, 'cause you said he looked sick and stuff. But he's all right. Just down with a, er, fever. And stuff. Yeah."

"And it's getting better!" added Charlie, grinning broadly.

The boys looked extremely confused. Unfortunately for the girls' lie, Remus chose that moment to roll over and retch all over the floor.

"Oh, bloody hell," muttered Brooklyn.

"WHOA!" yelled James.

"Holy crap!" shouted Sirius.

Peter promptly fainted. Remus vomited again.

"I'm getting Madam Isadora," announced Charlie, moving to the door.

"No, please," begged Remus, crying again. "Please. You can't."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" cried James. "What the hell is wrong with him?" he asked Brooklyn.

She shrugged. "I don't know." Brooklyn had totally given up on the situation. From the beginning, she'd been urging them to tell the Marauders; she felt they had the right know that their best friend was a werewolf. Now that it seemed the truth would finally come out, she had decided to just sit back and watch it happen, partially because she was afraid that if she opened her mouth too much, Remus's secret would come spilling out in the most brutal way.

"You're sick again," Sirius accused. "Not just sick, but sick with whatever it is you have. I'm starting to think I know what it is."

Fear, pure, unadulterated fear filled Remus's eyes along with the tears. He was openly bawling now.

"Black, please," whispered Lily. "He can't take this. He clearly can't take this. Please, just go get Madam Isadora."

"I know what it is," repeated Sirius.

"Please," choked Remus. "I'm sorry."

"Remus," James said, in a suddenly calm and authoritative voice that commanded everybody's attention, "calm down." He approached the bed next to Lily and knelt down, ignoring the vomit on the floor next to his feet, and grabbed his hands. "Remus, it's going to be okay. Do you understand me? It's going to be okay. Now, tell me. Why don't you want to go to the Hospital Wing?"

"He doesn't—" began Charlie.

"I'm asking Remus," James cut her off sharply. She shut up instantly, having never seen James so severe.

"I...I don't want to make a scene," he whispered, hiccupping on his tears. "Please, don't make me make a scene."

"All right," James agreed, nodding. "We won't make a scene. But you're very ill. We are going to get you to the Hospital Wing. Can you compromise with us on that one?"

Gasping for air, Remus nodded.

"Evans, can you get a glass of water, please?" James murmured.

Slightly dazed by his sudden maturity, she nodded and left the room.

"Okay," James said, standing up. "We need to get him out of here. Obviously, he can't walk, but there's six of us." He hesitated slightly. "Well, five, but six when Peter gets back up. We have to figure out a way to do this without making a scene or whatever."

"We can use the Cloak…" muttered Sirius so that only James could hear.

"There's an idea," he murmured back.

"What?" said Brooklyn irritably. "If you have a plan, it'd be nice to let the rest of us in on it."

Just as Lily returned from the bathroom, James said, "We'll use my Invisibility Cloak."

"What?" shrieked Lily.

"You've got an Invisibility Cloak?" Charlie asked in awe.

"That's a good idea," said Brooklyn, earning shocked looks from the other two. "What? I spent some time pranking with the idiots. I know some of their secrets."

"You know about the Invisibility Cloak?" James asked incredulously. "She knows about the Cloak!" He turned to Sirius in despair.

"I can't believe this…" said Sirius, shaking his head in disappointment. "And all this time, I thought we'd kept it a good secret."

They heard a moan from Peter as he started to stir.

"Hey, we could use Peter as a cover," Sirius said, lighting up once again.

"What do you mean?" asked Lily.

"Well, we put Remus under the Cloak and he leans on Peter, who's outside the Cloak with the rest of us. James holds him up on one side, pretending to hold on to Peter, while Peter leans on me so that he doesn't carry all of Remus's weight. Anybody asks, Peter fainted in the dormitory and we're taking him to the Hospital Wing," Sirius explained. "Not a total lie."

"That is bloody brilliant, that is," said Brooklyn appreciatively.

"Thank you," whispered Remus.

* * *

><p>They moved together as an unlikely yet purposeful group, supporting Peter, who played the weak, ill boy quite well. People mostly moved out of their path when they saw his pale face. James was breathing heavily; Remus's weight was a little too much for him, and he was sure that the boy had passed out at some point on the way. Brooklyn and Charlie walked ahead of them, making sure there were no snags on the ground that might catch on the Cloak, causing it to slip off and reveal the unconscious boy underneath. And Lily, with the most advanced magical knowledge, walked behind in case there was anything she might need to clean up. They had almost made it to the Hospital Wing when they were stopped short by a group of obnoxious Slytherins.<p>

"Is little Pettigrew ill?" mocked Bellatrix Black, leering at them.

"Shut up, Black," growled Charlie.

"You have no business here," hissed Brooklyn.

"Oh, and here's the blonde one from the party," she cackled.

Rodolphus Lestrange, a fourth year boy with an upturned nose gave a prize-winning sneer. "I'm surprised you still have the courage to show your face amongst purebloods."

"Are you still _friends_ with her, Sirius?" murmured Narcissa Black, looking as shocked as a full-time ladylike manner allowed. "Does your mother know?"

"Don't talk about that," spat Sirius. "My mother had no idea what she was talking about."

"Didn't she?" Narcissa continued in her calm tone. "Mother told me later what she indeed meant."

"What the hell is your problem?" Sirius shouted, interrupting his cousin before she could spill the secret Brooklyn couldn't know. "I. Don't. Care. Now get out of our way. We have a friend to help."

"Always with the friends, Black," smirked a tall Lucius Malfoy from behind the Slytherin crew. "We worry that you might not be making the right ones."

"Don't worry," Sirius sneered back. "I'm making just the right friends. Now shove off."

Snorting pretentiously, they stalked off, clearing the path for them to hurry Remus into the Wing.

"Oh dear," tutted Madam Pomfrey. "This poor boy looks terrible. Let me go fix a tonic, Mr. Pettigrew—" She bustled away into the office.

Peter dropped the act and bounded away, allowing James and Sirius to pull away the Cloak and reveal Remus beneath it. He was awake, but only just; he seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness. His face was absolutely green, and he looked like he might throw up again. Lily jumped forward to catch him as he swayed, and the two boys supported him on either side.

"Here's the Strengthening Solution, Mr. Pettigrew—OH!" she screamed, dropping the vial in her hand. "Remus, dear!" She rushed forward with her wand in the air, seizing his arms and dragging him to the nearest bed. "What on Earth happened?" she shrieked at them.

"Brooklyn, Lily and I found him in the boys' dormitory in-in a right state," explained Charlie. "We tried to get him to agree to come here, but he insisted on not making a scene."

Madam Pomfrey shook her head in disapproval. "One of you should have come here immediately. This boy's condition is serious."

"He was really upset," Charlie continued. "Really, really upset. We didn't know what to do, and then the boys showed up…"

"We, er, charmed a cloak to become invisible, er, temporarily," James fibbed. "And we put it on him so that no one would see. That calmed him down, and we were able to bring him."

"Well," sighed Madam Pomfrey. "I'd suggest you all leave now. Five points to each of you for your bravery."

"But—" protested Sirius.

"I insist," the nurse said firmly, pointing to the door.

"Wait," murmured Remus faintly. "Let them stay."

"It's okay, Remus—" Lily began, but he finally passed out before she could finish her sentence.

"Could we please stay, Madam Pomfrey?" implored Brooklyn. "If he wakes up anytime soon, I bet he'd like us to be here."

"Ergh. Fine. Stay. But you boys have to help me get a curtain around this bed."

They nodded enthusiastically, thrilled to be able to stay with their best friend, and followed her into the office room. Right away, the girls began an intense discussion.

"They're going to ask what's wrong with him," whispered Lily. "I don't know if we can hold them off."

"We're going to have to," answered Charlie.

"No way. They're going to know. Sirius was already saying that he knows," argued Brooklyn. "And anyway, don't you know the Marauders? They'll try to come back at night, and then they'll try to find him, and then they'll realize. And that's if they don't already know."

Before Lily could retort, the boys came back, carrying the rods that would hold up the curtain. They set it up quickly, chattering excitedly and making jokes, and Madam Pomfrey left to make a potion for Remus's pain. The Marauders sat down on the bed next to their best friend's and fell into a calm silence.

"That was really scary," admitted Sirius after a moment.

Lily nodded. "Yeah. It really was."

"I've never seen him like that," he said quietly. "But it happens every month…or so."

The girls took in a breath in unison, waiting for Sirius to come out with his guess. Lily felt her heart pounding, hoping that he had no idea. She didn't know how Remus would handle it if his friends found out as well.

"I never realized," said James, sounding very clearly upset, as though he had committed an unforgivable betrayal by not seeing his best friend in pain.

"He says they haven't figured out what he has," Peter added. "Until they do that, he's pretty much alone."

"He's not alone," said Lily firmly.

"Oh that's right," James spat coldly. "You know what he has. You just won't tell anyone."

"It's not my secret to tell," replied Lily through gritted teeth.

"It doesn't matter," said James, shaking his head. "If you cared about Remus, you'd let his friends know what was up. But when have you ever cared about anyone?"

"I care, Potter!" she shrieked. "I know what he has, and if _you_ cared, you should know that I know what he needs because of that!"

"Every month or so," repeated Sirius ponderingly.

"Black?" said Lily fearfully. "What are you saying?"

"Sirius, do you really know what he has?" Charlie breathed.

Absently, Sirius nodded. "Yeah, I do. It came to me last month."

"Oh God," whispered Lily.

"Finally," Brooklyn muttered.

"What is it?" demanded James impatiently. He glared straight into Sirius's eyes; he needed to know what was causing his friend so much pain so often. He needed to help with it, to not feel so useless. With a shudder, he thought back to the sight of Remus in his bed, crying and wiping vomit from his mouth, and the feeling that had possessed him, the feeling of utter helplessness. James swore that when he found out what was wrong with Remus, he'd rid himself of that feeling and do everything he could to help.

"Mate, it's-it's pretty intense," said Sirius hesitantly.

"It is?" squeaked Peter.

"Don't bloody faint again, dolt," growled Brooklyn. "This is important."

"Bla-Sirius, please. He doesn't want you to know. He doesn't want anyone to know. Just keep it to yourself," Lily begged.

"How did you find out?" he asked, ignoring her plea.

"It…it wasn't me," she admitted. "It was Brooklyn."

Sirius turned to her and looked into her guilty gray eyes. "I just knew. It was sort of obvious," she muttered.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Will someone _please_ tell me what it is?" cried James, unable to wait any longer.

"He's a werewolf, James," sighed Sirius.

There was silence all around. Remus fidgeted slightly in his sleep. James sat still, drenched in shock.

"No way," he murmured.

"That's why it happens once a month. He gets sicker and sicker until the full moon, and then gets better. He keeps disappearing for a night once a month. It used to be to 'visit his sick mother,' but after that one episode last year, we just assume he has an illness. He tells us no one knows what it is, because no one _can_ know what it is," Sirius continued, nodding as if explaining it to himself. "It all clicks."

"I can't believe this," mumbled James, with a horrified expression on his face.

"Don't you dare," whispered Lily. "Don't you dare abandon him. You don't deserve a friend like him, you jerk."

"Abandon him?" James cried, incredulous. "I feel like a total prat for not knowing this whole time! I wish I had known so that I could've-could've been there for him. No one was there for him," he whispered wretchedly.

"_I_ was there," insisted Lily angrily. "We were there for him every full moon, and before and after. Even when the story was that he had left to visit his mother, we came to see him here so that he wouldn't have to deal with it all alone. Don't you imply that we were bad friends."

"James, she means that Remus was in good hands with us," said Charlie gently.

"Don't tell him what I—"

"Shut up, Lily," Charlie cut her off. "Don't beat yourself up over it, James. It's important that you be here for him now to make up for lost time."

Her words penetrated his stony expression, and he nodded appreciatively. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Is it wrong to be…scared of him?" asked Peter quietly in shame.

"Yes," James answered sharply. "How can you even think that?"

"Absolutely not," Lily answered sympathetically, shooting a dirty look at James. "It's perfectly natural to be afraid of werewolves. But remember that Remus himself is not a wolf. He's a very good person and a good friend. The wolf is a different part of him that has nothing to do with him as a person."

Peter nodded, smiling at Lily. "I'll never tell him I was afraid," he swore.

"I hope he knows that everything will be okay," murmured Sirius.

With that, Madam Pomfrey returned from the office room with a glass full of an orangey liquid. "I'm going to have to ask you all to leave," she said. "And please keep what you know to yourselves. It's imperative that Remus's secret remains a secret."

"You heard us?" asked James, surprised.

"That door was open, you know," she replied, pursing her lips. "And," she continued, in a gentler tone, "if this becomes too emotionally wearing for any of you, there is staff at Hogwarts with whom you are welcome to speak about the subject."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," said Lily sincerely, and led the way out of the room after fiercely gripping Remus's hand a last time.

* * *

><p>"It's going to be a long night for him," commented Sirius solemnly.<p>

"Werewolves aren't meant to be alone," said Peter miserably. "They hurt themselves when they can't feed on any-anyone."

They were once again sitting in their favorite corner by the window in the Gryffindor Common Room, each boy staring into space sadly imagining what Remus's experience would be like. Every once in a while, one of them would shudder slightly, earning empathetic looks from the other two. James felt completely tormented by his inability to do anything to help.

"I wanted to do something to make it better," he muttered. "After I found out what it was, I was gonna help him. I knew I was gonna help him, I said I would, but now it feels like I can't."

Peter nodded. "There isn't anything we can do. Werewolves are—the wolf part of the werewolf is a monster. We can't be there for him when he's like that. He'll eat us."

"Thanks Peter," said James sarcastically. "A fat lot of help that was."

The mousy boy fell into a shameful silence.

"Shut up, James," Sirius sighed. They all sank back into their heavy thoughts.

After a long while, Peter said, "It's a shame we can't turn into animals."

"What did you say?" demanded James.

"Well…werewolves don't hurt other animals. They can communicate with them. It's a shame we can't do that," he explained.

"Is-is that true, Sirius?" James breathed.

Sirius shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? After I found out and they told me I was right, I was too damn depressed to look at any werewolf books."

"But-but don't you see? If that's true," James whispered excitedly, "then there is something we can do!"

"What?" asked Peter, confused.

"There are Animagi in this world. You know, wizards who can turn into animals at will. Haven't you ever seen McGonagall and her cat thing?"

"Are you suggesting…" Sirius began.

Running on adrenaline, James nodded. "I am. We should go through the process."

"Mate…" murmured Peter hesitantly.

"What?" James demanded, glaring at him. "You don't want to? Was the talk about helping Remus just all talk?"

"No," Peter insisted, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, James. I-I'm sorry. It's just, just that the Animagus process is supposed to be extremely advanced, and we're just second years. I-I mean, you could probably do it, but I-it just seems too hard."

"He does have a point, James," Sirius defended. "Not to mention we won't be able to get help from the professors."

"Why not?" pressed James agitatedly. How dare they argue with this idea? He was positive that there was no better idea than this one. If they were true friends of Remus, how could they be against it in any way at all?

"James, to be an Animagus, you have to register with the Ministry and everything," explained Sirius. "And we're probably not gonna be able to do that, because, well, because we're only second years in school. People will wonder why we're doing it and we don't have an answer."

Shrugging, James replied, "We can just say it's cool, and that's why."

Sirius shook his head. "No one will let us do that just because _it's cool_."

"Then fine!" James exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "We'll do it illegally. But don't you tell me that we're not doing this, because we are. When have we ever needed a teacher's help for any of the advanced magic we've done?"

"True," commented Peter.

"But this isn't just an advanced hex, James. This is seriously advanced stuff that most adults can't even do," argued Sirius.

"Also true," muttered Peter.

"I don't care!" James cried. "It's something we can do for Remus. So we're going to do it. We can figure it out, I know we can. I don't care how long it takes, but we have to do it."

Sirius frowned, still uncertain.

"Come on, mate," urged James. "What is there we can't do?"

At that, Sirius sighed and then grinned. "Fine, you're right. We should at least try."

"Yeah," piped Peter. "We'll try as hard as we can."

Angrily, James shook his head. "We're going to do it. Screw try."

Loudly and causing the other two to jump in their chairs, Sirius groaned.

"What?" said James, irritated.

"I can't believe we're going to have to sneak around to go to the library…"

* * *

><p>The next morning, everyone woke up full of anxiety. Quidditch tryouts were in the afternoon, but more importantly, Remus was recovering in the Hospital Wing. To arouse as little suspicion as possible, the Marauders ate breakfast in the Great Hall in complete silence, stuffing their faces as fast as they could before heading to the Hospital Wing. They were very nervous; Remus had no idea that they knew about his condition, and they had to tell him. As they hurried out of the Great Hall, for once trying not to draw attention to themselves, James turned to his friends.<p>

"We're not telling him about our, er, plan," he muttered. "Got it?"

Sirius nodded. "I think it'd be best if no one knows. Just in case something goes wrong or it doesn't work out. I don't wanna disappoint him."

Slightly reluctant and fearful to go through with the Animagi plan, Peter sighed and nodded his agreement.

"What? You don't want to do it?" hissed James.

"I-I'm-well, I think it's a bad idea," he squeaked. "But I'll do it. I'll do it because Remus is my friend."

Slightly more satisfied, James nodded once and fell into silence. As they walked through the corridor toward the staircase, they came upon Lily Evans talking with Severus Snape on one of the benches. Irritation flowed through James's veins and he approached them aggressively.

"Oi, Snivellus," he called. "Fancy that nose of yours?"

"Can't see why he would," Sirius commented.

Severus's lips turned up in a sneer. "What do you want?"

"We want to talk to Evans here," James snapped. "So you're excused. Unless you _don't_ fancy your nose, but like Sirius said, you probably don't."

Hissing slightly, Severus looked at Lily, who was glaring viciously at James. If looks could kill, he'd be dead a million times, but she nodded nevertheless.

"Sorry, Sev," she murmured. "I need to talk to them too."

Crestfalled, Severus stood up and walked away, sending a hurt look back at Lily which she ignored. He often worried that she might fancy the Potter boy, but usually she seemed to hate him just as much as he did. This time seemed like an exception that confirmed his fears.

"That was unnecessary," she spat, livid.

Rolling his eyes, James shrugged. As far as he was concerned, Snape was nothing more than a dirty bug in his path.

"We're going to see Remus," he said. "We need to tell him that we know about him. You coming?"

"Of course," she replied shortly. "If I wasn't, would I have sent Sev away?"

Again, James shrugged. He was not at all in the mood for another row with Lily Evans. Today, all he wanted to do was speak to his best friend and make the Quidditch team. His stomach danced with anxiety and excitement, making him somber and quiet, something he normally was not.

Sirius, on the other hand, was totally normal. He felt that if they were to truly help Remus, they'd have to be as natural and comfortable as possible. "Hey, Evans, if you want, you can tell Charlie and Brooklyn to come with us. Since you knew already, Remus would probably like it more if you all were there too."

Her expression softened slightly as she nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. You go on ahead, we'll meet you there," she said before she hurried away.

"You need to relax, mate," Sirius said to James.

"How can I?" he replied sharply, turning to him.

"You need to relax for him," repeated Sirius more firmly. "If you're all jittery he'll probably think you're freaked out and he doesn't need that."

Nodding, James relaxed his tensed muscles and sighed, "You're right. It's just that I wanna do this right, you know? Like, I don't want Remus to think we're judging him or thing any different of him and I dunno how I'm gonna do that. How are we gonna do that?"

"We'll figure it out, James," answered Sirius with a shrug.

Peter nodded enthusiastically. "I'm sure we can!" They had arrived at the large Hospital Wing doors, and with a deep breath and shudder, James pushed it open.

There lay Remus on the same bed they had placed him in the day before, eyes wide open and left arm bandaged quite tightly. He seemed to be wincing slightly with every breath, and when he looked over at the door he immediately shut his eyes. Under his breath, he prayed that they weren't there. They couldn't be there. He hadn't come up with an excuse for the day before yet, and until he did, there was no way he could face his friends. The broken ribs under his sternum ached as his breathing grew more rapid; they were coming closer.

"Remus?" James asked worriedly. "Are you okay? Does something hurt?"

Letting out a shallow breath, Remus shook his head. He still wouldn't open his eyes.

"Are you sure?" pressed James. "You look like something hurts like hell."

Again, Remus shook his head. "No," he muttered. "I'm fine."

After a long moment of silence, during which Remus's eyes remained closed, Sirius exhaled loudly. "We need to talk to you, mate," he said finally.

There it was. Dread filled Remus from the toes all the way up to his head. They were going to ask him what was wrong and why he was so sick, and this time he wasn't so sure he'd be able to get away with the excuse that Healers had no idea what the problem was.

"We're okay with it," James blurted out, unable to control himself.

Remus's eyes flew open. "What?" he croaked. "What does that mean?"

"We're okay with…with what happened last night," explained Sirius warily.

Peter nodded vigorously. "Yup!" he squeaked. "We're fine!" He gave an awkward smile, earning two glares from his friends.

"N-Nothing happened last night," Remus stammered, trying to prevent his eyes from brimming with tears. He wouldn't be able to bear it if his friends found out the truth about him.

"Remus, come on," urged James. "Are you listening? We're fine with it. It's not even a question. You're our friend."

Sirius nodded. "You are. And you always will be. Regardless of what happens once a month at the full moon."

Remus gasped and tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. Before he could say anything, Lily, Charlie, and Brooklyn burst into the room.

"God, did you tell him?" demanded Lily, glaring at James.

"Yeah, we did," he muttered, not paying much attention to her. He was more anxious to see Remus's reaction to his words, and so far, it didn't look too good.

"Remus," she said desperately. "Remus, it's okay. Calm down." But he was already retreating into himself, his eyes going blank.

Unable to stand it, Brooklyn shoved her way past her friends and slapped Remus across the face.

"What the—"

"Brooklyn!"

"Are you MENTAL?"

"WHY was that necessary?"

"What did you just—"

"Shut up!" she shouted over their angry protests. Remus's face regained its color and he looked straight into her eyes, and she smiled at him. "There you go," she murmured. "Stay with us here."

"Do they know?" he whispered.

Gripping his hand tightly, she nodded. "But they're like us, see? We didn't care."

"That's right," Lily called from behind them with a smile. "We didn't care. You're just Remus to us."

"Yeah," agreed Brooklyn softly. "Just old bloody Lupin."

"They're right. You're just Remus," said Sirius, leaning forward.

"I'm not. I'm a monster. I can't be anything else," Remus whispered hoarsely, casting his eyes down.

"Yes, you can. You _are_," said James earnestly, stepping forward. "What you are one night a month doesn't change who you are for the rest of the month. And for the rest of the month, you're our friend. And a damn good one at that."

"He's right," Lily murmured. "You are a good friend, Remus."

He let out a shuddering breath and shut his eyes again. Could that really ever be true? Could they really look at him the same way? Even his parents looked at him differently, pitying him, after he had been bitten. Every once in a while, he'd notice Professor McGonagall glance at him worriedly, and he'd know what she was thinking. Only Professor Dumbledore treated him like a normal human being. And if only someone as old and wise as the headmaster could do it, how could he believe his friends would?

"So are we," added James. "And you're going to have to trust us. You will always be Remus to us. Screw the wolf. It's not what you are."

"As much as I hate to agree with Potter," sighed Lily, "what he's saying is true. You should accept it and move forward."

Remus squeezed his eyes closed even tighter. There was no way. It simply could not be possible. Finally, he nodded.

"Okay," he whispered.

His friends all breathed sighs of relief and he forced out a smile. But he didn't think he'd ever truly believe them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Now I know this chapter was really heavy, and I'm sorry about that but I really didn't see another way of illustrating the conflict with Remus and his lycanthropy. It took a lot of editing and I had to pinpoint their characters down to little details and I still am not very satisfied with it. The next chapter will be much lighter, I promise! Please, please, please leave some reviews! It bums me out to see only one person reviewing, though I'm very greatful for you CrescentMoon12!

~Maya


	14. Year Two: When Friends Fly Together

**A/N: **I'm back with Chapter 14! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in forever, but I have a bunch of more chapters done so I will be posting more frequently. I promise! I know the last chapter was really heavy, and I'm a little bummed that I got zero reviews for it. Please review this one so that I will be motivated to write more and faster! It helps to know that I'm writing for an active audience.

Thanks!

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

When Friends Fly Together

After the boys left the Hospital Wing, they immediately exploded into conversation.

"Bloody Merlin, he looked terrible!"

"We were way right. The transformation must be, like, the worst thing ever."

"There's no way we aren't doing the Animagus thing."

"I can't believe Remus has been doing this for this long."

"Do you think he knows it doesn't make a difference to us?"

"I hope he does."

"I don't know if he does."

"Do you think he'll be okay?"

"After we're done with the process, Peter, he'll be okay," said James firmly. He began to set a course to the library, determined to seek out any books that could give even the slightest insight into the Animagus transformation.

"Uh, James? Where are you going?" asked Sirius warily.

"To the library," James replied, as if it were the obvious answer.

"Um. Okay. See, I'm all for being the best friend you can ever be and whatnot, but we've got to go to Quidditch tryouts." Sirius grabbed James's arm and pulled him back.

"We can skip Quidditch tryouts for this, Sirius," snapped James impatiently.

"James, you've got to live in the present," Sirius argued earnestly.

Peter watched the exchange between the two with wide eyes.

"For every moment lived in the present, that's another moment Remus has to deal with this thing on his own!" James hissed.

"Oh, shut up, James," cried Sirius. "If you get obsessed with this thing, you're gonna go mad. And I'm pretty sure Remus needs a _sane_ friend as well as an animal one."

That shut James up well. "I guess you're right."

"Yeah. So right now, let's just all go to Quidditch practice and kill it."

* * *

><p>On the pitch, there were close to twenty people, not counting the old Quidditch players, and the three second year boys were finding it difficult to see over the heads of sixth and seventh years. On the other side of the crowd they saw Charlie jumping up and down to achieve this task, and they all chuckled slightly at the humorous sight.<p>

"Listen up," the Captain was saying, his voice booming. "We aim to win the Quidditch Cup this year, so we're cracking down here! The bar has been significantly raised, and unless you have what it takes, you will be cut. Understand?"

There was a vague murmur of assent.

"I said, do you understand?" he shouted.

"Yes, sir!" cried the crowd in response.

"You don't need to be so military, Brody," muttered a boy to the Captain's left.

"Do you want me to make you try out, too?" the Captain snapped.

"No, sir," said the boy slightly sarcastically. Luckily for him, his sass escaped the Captain's notice. Just then, Brooklyn appeared next to them, panting slightly.

"Hey, Brooklyn!" greeted James happily. "You decided to try out after all?"

Out of breath, she shrugged. "Just a few minutes ago I remembered I promised. So I had to hurry," she explained.

"Well, even all tired you'll be better than me," Peter reassured her.

"Probably," Sirius snorted.

"All right!" shouted the Captain. "Chasers, let's get you in a line here! First years first, seventh years last. Everyone else, please take a seat in the stands!"

As everyone moved to follow the Captain's orders, even Brooklyn, with the intention of playing Beater, moved to the stands, James stood with his feet firmly planted in the grass. His friends looked at him bewilderedly. Irritated, the Captain approached him.

"Do you have a problem, first year?" he shouted in his face.

"I'm right here. No need to shout. And I'm a second year," said James arrogantly.

The Captain turned a strange purple color. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Does your yelling affect your hearing?" asked James innocently. He took a deep breath and hollered up at the Captain, "I AM A SECOND YEAR. AND I HAVE A QUESTION!"

Sirius and Peter struggled desperately to keep from laughing.

"How dare you act so _insolently_?" spat the Captain, shaking with rage. "I don't need this disrespect from a bloody _SECOND_ YEAR!"

"I'm sorry, Captain," said James sweetly. "But I do have a question."

"I will NOT hear your question!" he shouted. "Get off this pitch!"

James raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"I believe I said, GET OFF THIS PITCH!"

With an eye-roll, James mimed pulling wax out of his ear. "Sorry, I think your yelling must have busted the ear drum thing. Say that again?"

Now Sirius and Peter were laughing openly. Peter even clapped his hands. From the Chaser line, Charlie gave James an alarmed look.

The Captain, livid, did nothing but point them in the direction away from the field, and turned away to address the students trying out. Angrily, James stalked off the Quidditch Pitch, his friends guffawing as they followed him.

"Respect for that, James, but why'd you do it?" Sirius chuckled.

"Doesn't matter why! It was amazing!" said Peter.

Not amused, James crossed his arms over his chest. "A person like that shouldn't be Captain," he grumbled.

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius.

"He's so full of it," James pointed out. "He just orders everyone around. Nothing about working as a team. He's no leader."

"You'd make a good leader, James," said Peter.

James shook his head. "Nah. But I _know_ he's not. Someone needs to show him that he's not boss."

His eyes lighting up, Sirius suggested, "Why don't we do it?"

Unsure of what he meant, James turned to him. "How would we do that?"

"I think you've got the same idea I do," he answered slyly.

Suddenly, James's eyes lit up as well. "Oh," he said knowingly.

"Yeah," replied Sirius in the same tone.

"What?" said Peter, confused. "What is it?"

"Peter, are you a good flyer?" asked James, excitement flooding his voice.

"Er, not-not really," admitted Peter.

"Well then, sorry, but we're going to have to do this one by ourselves," said Sirius, with the tiniest apologetic note in his voice blending in with all the anticipation.

They exchanged an identical look of exhilaration and mounted their broomsticks. Taking a deep breath, they kicked off the ground and soared through the air above the pitch as the Chasers were flying the way the Captain ordered. They made wide circles and tight loop-de-loops and swift, sharp turns. Sirius snatched the Quaffle out of the air and sped it towards the goal posts at the end and hurled it through the goal. James, hovering below the post, grabbed the Quaffle and zipped back towards the group, tossing to each player who then tossed it back to him and he threw it through the other goal posts before the Captain could even fully realize what was happening.

"Let's get teams in the air!" shouted James, grinning broadly.

Everyone other than the Captain was laughing, and they all flew into position. Sirius pulled out his wand and cast a spell in the direction of the chest carrying the Quidditch balls, causing it to open and the balls to fly into the air. Instantly, a game was in motion. James, Charlie, and the boy who had sassed the Captain played as Chasers, Sirius and Brooklyn played as Beaters, third year Gideon Prewett played Seeker, and sixth year Jen Myers played Keeper. On the other side was much of the old Quidditch team, plus Fabian Prewett, Gideon's first year brother who'd only come to support them, playing Seeker with his friend's broom.

The Captain, who had been spluttering protests for the past several minutes, floated off to the side on his broom.

"Here! Pass me the Quaffle!" cried James. He felt so in his element; at home he and his brother would always play with Charlie and her brothers and some other friends.

Right on command, Charlie threw the Quaffle his way with remarkable force, startling him slightly, and he sped toward the other side of the pitch. Unfortunately for him, the other team's Keeper was a seventh year, and wore a broad smirk as James approached him. Hovering uncertainly, James searched for a weak link when, suddenly, a Bludger flew through the air and smashed directly into the grinning Keeper. James turned around on his broom to see Sirius cheering, "I've got your back, mate!"

Returning his smile, James threw the Quaffle into the hoop in front of him just as a deafening roar erupted behind him. He spun his broom around; Gideon Prewett had stolen the Snitch right out of the air. Like the rest of his team, James punched his fist in the air, and the other team applauded, overjoyed at the exciting game.

After they all touched down to the ground, many of the players approached James and Sirius, congratulating them on an excellent game.

When he saw Lily Evans hurry down from the Quidditch stands to give Brooklyn and Charlie a hug, James felt his hand ruffle up his hair of its own accord. She cast them an odd look, and then walked away arm in arm with the two girls.

James, Sirius, and Peter, who was giddy beyond words, walked back to the castle with the Prewett brothers.

"That was the most fun I've had in a long time," said Gideon Prewett, nearly bouncing with enthusiasm.

"Yeah!" agreed Fabian. "We've seriously got to do that again!"

"It's too bad the Captain will never let you on the team," said Gideon mournfully.

"Eh," said James, shrugging. "Would be no fun to play on a team with someone like him."

Just then, the Captain walked up and blocked their path.

"Excuse me," said James harshly.

"Wait," he said, looking uncomfortable.

James raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

"What?" said Sirius.

"Well, you see, that-that was the best game played I've ever seen at Hogwarts," he admitted.

"And?" said James.

"And-and I'd—it'd be a favor to me if you'd agree to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team," said the Captain, attempting at a smile.

The Prewett brothers looked at James and Sirius curiously. It looked like Peter might wet his pants.

After pretending to consider it together for a moment, Sirius replied, "Yeah, all right."

The Captain broke out in a wide smile, thanking them profusely, and practically ran away.

Beaming, James and Sirius exchanged high fives with each other and everyone else. Peter might have actually wet his pants.

* * *

><p>"James! Sirius!" screamed Brooklyn as they entered the Gryffindor Common Room. "Did you hear? Did you hear? The Captain loved us! He, like, totally and completely <em>loved<em> us! I mean, seriously! I didn't expect that, he was so damn cross and…and…you know! But he liked what you guys did! And I made the team! Something about good teamwork with…with Sirius." Her voice softened towards the end and she tucked a blonde curl behind her ear shyly, blushing.

"He said that?" asked Sirius curiously.

Charlie nodded, her brown ponytail bouncing. "He did! He thought you worked together as Beaters better than anyone he'd ever seen on any of the teams at Hogwarts."

"You did work together quite well," Lily admitted.

"You watched us?" said James, surprised. "I mean, I saw you afterwards, but you watched, like, _us_?"

Lily turned her attention to him, and instantly he wished he hadn't spoken. "I didn't watch _you_," she said coldly. "I watched my _friends_."

He looked away awkwardly.

"So the four of you made the team?" said Remus, who was now back in action and looked much better.

"No," said Charlie ruefully. "I didn't."

"The Captain was so rude to her," cried Brooklyn indignantly. "It's like he's only nice to people he needs! It was so unfair, I mean, Charlie played well! Better than some of last year's Chasers. Did you see the idiots that were on the Pitch last year? Like, come on, that one who called himself the Dragon? What a moron! And that loser with the red cap? How did the Captain not notice it'd totally get in the way of his playing? And, like—"

"Brooklyn—"

"—only the one who went on to play professionally, Horrigan, the Beater, was any good at all! Everyone else on the team was horrible! Well, I suppose not the Keeper. Did you notice he called the Captain by his name? I didn't even know he _had—_"

"Brooklyn—"

"What kind of stupid name is Brody? Is it a last name or a first name? Is it a nickname? What's it supposed to mean? What kind of idiot parent would name their child Brody? Unless it's a last name. In which case—"

"BROOKLYN!"

She quieted instantly, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry."

"Bloody hell," muttered Sirius. "I'd forgotten how much you can rant."

She smiled at him, butterflies exploding in her stomach. Just then, Julian Terrence entered the common room.

"Brooklyn!" he shouted jovially, rushing up to embrace his sister. "Congrats! I heard you got on the Quidditch team!"

"I did," she said, beaming. Julian's pride for her showed quite conspicuously on his face. Brooklyn smiled to herself. Making her brother proud was the only thing she really wanted to do. Then, before she could begin another spiel, Julian noticed Sirius standing with them.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he growled menacingly.

Sirius blanched. "Er…"

"Don't stutter at me!" he barked. "What do you think gives you the right to even _look_ at my sister?"

"Julian—" said Brooklyn.

"Why don't you just go throw yourself off a cliff? Because that's what I'd like to do to you!"

"Julian, I—" tried Sirius, terrified for his life.

"_Don't_ call me by my name."

"I-er-I-I didn't mean for my mum to-to say that stuff to Brooklyn," he muttered.

"Oh, but she did, didn't she?" Julian said furiously. "You and your whole damn family—"

"Julian," Brooklyn whispered.

"—they just won't give their damn pureblood supremacy thing a rest, will they? Bloody prejudiced—"

"Julian—"

"—I know it was a blood status party, 'cause of Charlie's damn grandfather—"

"Hey!" Charlie protested.

"—sorry, Charlie, you know it's true—"

Charlie shrugged and jerked her head slightly in agreement. Everyone else was watching the scene, frozen.

"Julian, it's not—"

"—but it doesn't matter! Your mum had no right to—"

"JULIAN, SHUT UP!" screamed Brooklyn.

Startled, Julian stopped his berating and looked at his red-faced sister.

"It is NOT his fault!" she cried. "Just because his mum's right foul doesn't mean he is!"

"Wha…of-of course it does!" Julian insisted. "They're from the same family, Brooklyn."

"Oh, who's being prejudiced now?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

Julian shook his head. "You don't understand, Brooklyn. They don't change. They _can't_."

Frustration surged through her blood. "Apparently, neither can you," she said.

He looked disappointed in her, and she felt shamed, but she refused to give in. Julian was being downright unfair.

"Fine," he muttered. "Do what you want, Brook."

"I will," she said stubbornly.

"Thanks," Sirius said awkwardly as Julian walked away.

Brooklyn shrugged and smiled at him. "No problem. It-er-wasn't your fault, you know."

More relieved than he'd ever tell her, he smiled back. "Thanks," he repeated warmly.

"Bloody hell. I thought it was gonna take you forever to finally get to that," James snorted.

A loud squeal interrupted Sirius's impending retort.

"JAMES!" shrieked Savannah Hodges as she hurled herself at him, nearly knocking him down. She immediately proceeded to plant awkward, wet kisses all over his cheeks.

"_What_ is going on?" said Lily.

"That's James's new girlfriend," whispered Charlie, shaking her head in shame.

"Potter's got a girlfriend?" she said, amused.

"Yes!" he said indignantly. "Yes, I do." And to prove it, he grabbed Savannah's hand in his and held it for several seconds.

The girls could barely hold in their snickers, and Lily didn't even try. "That's seriously pathetic, Potter."

"Don't call Savannah pathetic!" said James.

"He's so _noble_," sighed Savannah dreamily.

"I wasn't saying she's pathetic. I was saying _you_ are," said Lily.

"You're just jealous," snapped Savannah. She smiled sappily at James, clearly hoping for some praise at her defense.

"Jealous?" scoffed Lily. "Jealous of you? Jealous that you're dating probably the most arrogant, stupid berk at this school? Jealous that he probably handpicked you out of a throng of giggling girls? Jealous that he's just using you for entertainment (though I can't imagine what he'd find entertaining about you)? I don't think so, Savannah."

"Whoa," murmured Charlie.

"All right, Lily!" cheered Brooklyn, earning a grin from Sirius and Remus.

"I think James really likes Savannah!" said Peter. "So stop calling him those names!"

"Yeah!" said James. "Just leave us alone and let us-let us be happy together!" He looked uncertainly at an ecstatic Savannah Hodges.

With a sigh and an eye-roll, Lily turned on her heel and walked back to her dormitory. She really didn't care what James Potter did with his time.

* * *

><p>The next afternoon, James and Sirius were "studying" in the library, attracting odd looks from everyone who knew of them and of their reputation and their oath to never touch a textbook. In truth, while Peter distracted Remus, James and Sirius were hastily skimming various books they thought could help them in their quest to become Animagi. After the fifth failed search, Sirius finally let his head fall down to the table in frustration, letting out a loud groan that earned an angry "Shh" from the librarian.<p>

"James," he said with a grimace, "we're never gonna find it like this. We're not the studying type."

His friend cast him a pointed look. "It doesn't matter that we're not cut out for this…stupidity. Merlin, I hate books. But it only matters that Remus needs us."

"I get that, mate," said Sirius. "But it's not going to work out. We need…"

"Remus," James finished, sinking his head into his hands.

"The irony," said Sirius dryly.

"You're right. We need something else. A lead," he muttered.

"But where are we gonna get it? The only person who's as book-y as Remus is Lily Evans and…" Sirius faltered as James gave him a cold look.

"There is no way we're asking that prissy stiff for help," growled James, returning to his book.

Before Sirius could find a way to sheepishly apologize, the large group of Slytherins approached their table.

"Studying for once, Sirius?" said Narcissa, her lips thinning. "I hope it pays off, cousin. Being a good student will at least _somewhat_ redeem you for your previous failures."

"Go away, Narcissa," said Sirius, turning away. "I'm really not in the mood."

"Manners, Black," murmured Lucius Malfoy with a nasty smile. "You should respect your family."

"Actually, I was. And I refrained from disrespecting her _because_ she's my family. _You're_ not. So what do you think I'll do to you?" Sirius shot back.

Malfoy seemed unfazed. From behind him, Bellatrix Black snorted, "If you believe we're your family, you should behave so, Sirius."

"Just get out of here, Bella," he growled. "I don't want to deal with this right now."

"Watch it, Black," warned Rodolphus Lestrange. "You're this close to crossing over."

"Don't let it happen to you," said Narcissa firmly.

"Let what happen?" asked James, unable to keep quiet despite Sirius's angry glare.

Narcissa merely looked at him, her eyes growing icy and her countenance stonier, if that was possible.

With a mirthless laugh, Bellatrix answered him. "Let him become like _you_."

They strode away, a mass of black, and left Sirius shaking with rage, frustration, and the tiniest shred of despair.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: So what did you think? I really enjoyed writing the Quidditch tryouts scene, as well as the one with Julian Terrence. I know he seems horrible now, but there is definitely a reason behind his prejudice. I'm not yet sure if I'm going to make him a major character, but we'll see. I've written him a little into my next few chapters, but let me know if you'd like to see him in depth!

Next up, Sirius's struggle with his family becomes more intense. James and Savannah start having relationship problems (haha). And more on Brooklyn's feelings for Sirius!

~Maya


	15. Year Two: Hearts are Broken Every Day

**A/N:** Like I said, I've written a lot more of this now, and the updates will be coming in much faster! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I put a lot of work into it. Please review!

~Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Hearts are Broken Every Day

Sirius slammed the window on an owl as it flew back to his home, carrying his mother's unopened letter. Frustrated and upset, his cousins' words ringing in his ears, he sat on his bed and rested his head in his hands. All his mother would ever tell him was that he was a shame to their family and urge him to return to them so they could "make him understand."

He felt as though every outlet was closed; like he had no other option but to stay with his family. Every moment of his life, Sirius searched desperately for some way he wouldn't have to go home to his family every Christmas, every Easter, every summer, he wouldn't have to know that his mother and father and uncles and aunts and cousins all stared upon him in disappointment and disgust, and he wouldn't have to feel the burden and pressure to succumb to it all. There were some moments where Sirius felt that merely surrendering to their wishes and being the proper, pureblooded boy he was might just make his life easier. He could learn to go numb, to simply not feel the hate he held for himself and his family.

But every morning when he walked down to the Great Hall and enjoyed breakfast with his friends, every time he shared a laugh with them or pulled an exhilarating prank with them, Sirius knew his life decision was worth it. He just didn't know if he'd be able to live through it.

Every once in a while, Sirius went out flying, sometimes with Charlie and sometimes without her. Though she said she could understand, at the end of the day, despite her difficulties, Charlie was free to have her own thoughts and form her own opinions. Sirius was not.

Finally, after two weeks of his sulking, Remus decided to approach him, much to James's protests. Perhaps a month or so ago, Remus would have more than welcomed James's attempts to cheer Sirius up, but after observing his incredibly tactless behavior with Savannah Hodges, he decided his friend would be better off this way.

Remus found him in the dormitory gazing—or, more accurately, glaring—out the window. He sighed ponderously and took a seat next to his friend on his bed.

"What's up, Sirius?" he ventured tentatively.

Sirius merely grunted.

"Come on, Sirius. What's going on?" he prodded. "You need to tell someone."

"Don't want to," said Sirius.

"James said you've been all gloomy since the Slytherins came up to you in the library a few weeks ago," said Remus.

Sirius's face contorted with anger. "James shouldn't have told you that. It's none of his damn business, and it's none of yours either."

"Are you bloody serious, right now?"

"Yes. I always am." Despite the joke, Sirius's expression remained stony.

"You're a right git, you know that?" said Remus angrily, getting to his feet. "I can't believe you'd say that to me."

Surprised at Remus's sudden and unexpected outburst, Sirius looked up at him. "What're you on about?"

"I'm talking about why you're the stupidest person on this planet!" he said, throwing his arms up in the air.

"What the hell did _I_ do?" Sirius wondered.

"You said your whiny, mopey mood is none of my business," Remus growled.

"Exactly. It's not."

"Yeah, and my _lycanthropy_ is completely and entirely your business to know. It was totally okay of you to pry and try to figure that out. It wasn't a bloody sensitive subject at all. No reason for it to be a secret. I had nothing to fear or hide," he shouted, completely losing it. "Your problem is obviously much more _private_ than mine. So yeah, fine, I'll bloody well leave you alone. _It's none of my business_."

Seething, Remus turned away and made to leave the room, until Sirius called out quietly, "Wait."

Remus stopped in his tracks. "What do you want now?"

"I'm sorry."

Slowly letting his breath escape through his gritted teeth, Remus turned to face Sirius and raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"I-I don't know what to say," Sirius admitted. "You're right. We, er, were just trying to figure out your business to-to help you out. I never thought about, well, that it might be private. So-so I'm sorry."

With a slight nod, Remus moved toward him and took his initial place on the red sheets. "Do you wanna tell me what's going on?"

"It's just my mum," said Sirius, hanging his head. "She keeps sending me all these letters. I don't wanna know what she's saying. I just send them back to the house."

"Why has it been bothering you so much?" Remus asked.

"Well, it's like, she'll never leave me alone, you know?" Sirius leaned his head back against the wall and shut his eyes tightly. "I can never be rid of her."

"Come on, Sirius," said Remus immediately. "You don't want to be rid of your mother. She may be pretty bad, but she's still your mum. She's still family."

Sirius's eyes flew open. "If my mother found out about you, and that I'm friends with you, she'd kill us both. No, she'd hire someone in the family or someone who owes the family to kill us."

Remus shook his head. "You're exaggerating, Sirius. It can't be that bad."

"It's bad," said Sirius darkly. "They're going to keep shunning me and hurt—er, you know. Until I go back to them and their stupid ideas. I wouldn't put it past my mum to have sent letters over and over to Dumbledore to let me do the Sorting again."

"What-what were you saying, Sirius?" said Remus quietly. "Is your family hurting you? Like-like, actually hurting you?"

"No," said Sirius quickly. "No. They're not. Just-just shunning me."

The two boys sat in silence, Remus turning the blatant lie over in his head, and Sirius hoping Remus would believe it.

"Well," said Remus carefully, "it'll all be okay."

"How the hell do you know that, Remus?"

He shrugged. "It was hell for me for a long time, but it's better now."

Sirius looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

Remus cringed. "Well, the transformations still hurt like a bloody scythe dug into your skin and ripped it apart, but it's better knowing someone's, like, there, you know?"

Thoughtfully, Sirius nodded. "I guess I get it. I feel sort of…better…now that I've told you. About some of it, I mean."

Encouragingly, Remus added, "Yeah! And you're not alone in that whole thing. Wanna know how I spent my summer?"

"Yeah?"

"Silently. Well, mostly silently. My parents barely say anything to me, and when they do, it's out of total sympathy. So you're not the only one with a home that's far from fun." Though his tone remained airy, Remus's face fell as he thought back to the summer he had spent with his parents.

"Wow. I'm sorry, Remus. I-I bet that seriously sucked," said Sirius.

"Yup," he replied curtly. "Anyway, just, I guess, attack the world with a positive attitude. I know I sound like a girl, but if you just believe it's going to get better, it will."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Sirius. "Me believing isn't going to make my mum stop being so full of herself for being pureblood."

"That's true, but you'll be happier, won't you?" said Remus.

"This is very odd coming from the broodiest person in our year." The corners of Sirius's mouth twitched; his mood was still too dark for his jokes to be anything more than half-hearted.

"Yeah, well. You're taking my position at the moment, and Merlin knows there can only be one 'broodiest person in our year.'" With that, Remus grinned broadly and hopped up off of Sirius's bed. "Now let's get down for lunch and actually eat something. I don't know how you've been getting by on that leaf of lettuce you've been calling a meal for the past two weeks."

Groaning loudly, Sirius said, "I can't believe I didn't eat any roast beef for so long! My stomach is probably more depressed than I've been."

"Technically, it's your taste buds that have been depressed. Your stomach doesn't get any pleasure from the taste of roast beef."

Sirius punched his friend lightly on the shoulder. "Bloody hell, go be a Muggle. That shyence is no good in our magical world."

Sighing, Remus responded, "Science, Sirius. Science. And of course it's useful –we have Healers, don't we? Oh, and I take it back. Your taste buds don't get any pleasure from the taste either. They reroute the sensation to the brain, which tells you that you're enjoying the sensation…"

Continuing to bicker, the two boys headed out of Gryffindor Tower and down to the Great Hall to enjoy their lunches as well as enjoy the return of the old Sirius Black.

* * *

><p>After lunch, which was sufficiently awkward considering Savannah Hodges insisted on not only sampling all of James's food, but also that he feed it to her, the Marauders headed to their Charms lesson.<p>

"I'm just saying, it'd be unfair to prank a fellow Gryffindor," James was asserting.

"Oh, come _on_, James, you've gotta agree that Holland Larkin is not a Gryffindor!" said Sirius, almost bouncing with passion.

"No, his character might not be, but he's a Gryffindor by Sorting and he's our brother. We've got to respect that," said James, nodding his head pompously.

"You pranked Lily Evans."

At that, James turned a dangerous color of red. "I will never prank Evans again and you know that and I see no reason for you to bring it up again you know I don't like to talk about that so just shut the hell up bloody you can't even—"

"Blimey, calm down, mate!" cried Sirius, laughing uncontrollably.

Huffing, James crossed his arms across his chest. "It's not funny."

Remus, stifling a laugh, mumbled, "It's a little funny."

"It's not funny, is it, Peter?" whined James, turning to his last hope.

Peter, almost completely straight-faced, replied, "I don't think it's that funny."

But just as James grinned smugly at the other two, Peter burst into laughter. With an indignant and outraged cry, James turned back to him.

Offering him an apologetic look, Peter said, "Sorry, sorry, it's just—it-it was kinda funny."

"Oh, I should've known you four would be here," said a familiar voice. Behind them stood Gene Fitzpatrick, sixth year prefect, and a good friend to the Marauders due to his leniency with their pranks. He wore an amused and affectionate smirk as he said, "Should I be expecting to have to look the other way while you do something that's definitely not against school rules during this class?"

"What?" James exclaimed in mock incredulousness.

"Gene," said Sirius in a jokingly exasperated tone, "don't you know us better by now?"

"Yes, as if we'd do something like that," Remus murmured with a slight smile.

"What?" said Peter, confused. "What do you mean? Why would you look away if we were following the rules?"

"Pettigrew, it's a thing called sarcasm," said Lily Evans, who had just entered the room with Charlie and Brooklyn by her side.

"Lily!" cried Gene. "How are you? It's been far too long since I've talked to you."

With a surreptitious giggle, Charlie nudged Lily in her side, to which she promptly turned a dainty pinkish color that clashed horribly with her hair.

"Yes, it has been too long. I've been well, you know, just busy with schoolwork and stuff. You?" she managed to force out.

"Oh, I've been just fine. I'm hoping to be Head Boy next year," he said, puffing his chest proudly.

"YES!" shouted James triumphantly, punching his fist in the air.

"Why are _you_ so excited?" Lily snapped at him.

"Because Fitzpatrick never gets the Marauders in trouble for their pranks," Brooklyn answered with a grin. "I've gotta say, him being Head Boy would probably be the best thing for you four."

"Yeah, but that's probably one reason why I won't be Head Boy," said Gene, shrugging. "Professor Dumbledore probably already knows you four are my weak spot." He looked at them fondly.

"Well, we'll put in a good word for you," said Sirius.

"Yeah, because the Marauders' word means everything to Dumbledore," Charlie laughed.

"Trust me, if you want to do good for Gene, you won't say anything to Dumbledore. He'll probably look at your chicken scratch and immediately cross him off the Head Boy list," said Lily, glaring at Sirius.

"Lily," whispered Charlie, looking over at Gene. He was gazing at Lily with a mixture of surprise and disappointment. Lily's heart sank.

"I don't know about that," he said. "I'd very much value the Marauders' word."

Desperate to change the subject, Lily said, "So what are you up to, Gene? This is second year Charms, after all."

"Mr. Fitzpatrick is here to aid me in my lesson," squeaked Professor Flitwick, causing them all to jump. "And he will not be able to do that well if you all continue to converse instead of taking your seats."

"Sorry, Professor," they muttered quietly, before rushing off to their seats.

"Lily," hissed Charlie after they'd settled into chairs in the back of the room. "Why would you say that to Sirius in front of Gene? You know how much he likes the Marauders."

"I don't know," said Lily hopelessly. "I mean, he told them off that one time when Potter turned my hair green. I thought me being rude to them was normal!"

"What does it matter anyway?" said Brooklyn.

"Lily likes Gene Fitzpatrick."

"Charlie!"

"What?" squealed Brooklyn. "Are you serious? You're into Fitzpatrick? I thought if there was a person you'd never, ever be into, after Potter, that is, it'd be Fitzpatrick!"

"What? Why?" said Lily.

"Because he, like, _adores_ the Marauders. I thought you'd hate that more than you hate even the Marauders," said Brooklyn, shrugging as though it was obvious.

"She makes a good point," Charlie pointed out.

"I don't know, Brooklyn. Like, why do you like Sirius Black?" Lily said.

It was Charlie's turn to squeal. "What? You like Sirius?"

"Nice one, Lily."

"No problem."

* * *

><p>The library always spoke to Lily in a beautifully silent way, and she enjoyed settling in a comfy chair towards the back of the huge room whenever something was troubling her. Which it was. Somehow, she couldn't get her mind off Gene Fitzpatrick. It was silly, she knew, because it was a simple crush that had no real meaning, yet it truly bothered her that he might have thought ill of her. She'd come down to the library with the intention of finishing the truckload of work she had to do and to mull things over, but unfortunately, that was proving impossible.<p>

On the way, she'd run into her best friend, Severus Snape, with whom she was not getting along well lately. Like a sad puppy, he'd insisted on following her to the library to help her with her work, and, reluctantly, she'd agreed. He was, after all, quite good at Potions.

After several minutes in which the only sound had been Lily's quill scratching (a sound that she was not ashamed to admit she loved very much), Severus finally forced out the words he'd been aching to say to her the whole time.

"You're angry at me, aren't you?" he said, hanging his head.

"No, Sev," she said curtly. "I'm not angry."

"Well, then, you're upset. Or frustrated. Either way, it's bad," he argued.

Annoyed, she looked up from her Transfiguration essay and glared at him. "It's none of your business, Sev."

"Yes it is," he shot back, quivering slightly under her terrifying gaze. "You're angry at me, so-so it's my business, isn't it?"

She sighed, putting her quill down. "Severus, I'm not angry with you. I-I just don't understand you sometimes."

His heart sank; Lily had always been the only one who truly understood him. Now, if she didn't, then what would he do? "That-that's not true, Lily. You understand me perfectly." He was more trying to convince himself than her.

Gently, she smiled at him. "I didn't mean it like that, Sev. I understand you. I just don't understand…why you do what you do sometimes."

"What do I do?" Though he voiced the words, he dreaded her answer.

"You know what you do, Severus," Lily said earnestly. "You-you hang out with your friends and you don't pay any attention to me."

"You do the same thing," Severus pointed out.

"That's because I was angry with you."

"See? You were angry!"

"Shut up, Sev. That's not the point," she sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said glumly. "But-but you know my friends…they won't accept…it."

"What?" she said. "What do you mean 'it?'"

"You know…" he said uncomfortably. "The whole…Muggle-born thing."

"So?" she challenged icily. "You told me yourself it doesn't make a difference, Sev. Even if they don't accept it, why should you agree with them?"

Severus was silent. Her point was valid, he knew, but he didn't really know how to agree with it. All he knew was that he was sorry he hurt her, and that he could not live any longer with her so upset with him.

"I'm sorry, Lily," he said. "I-I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Immediately, her expression softened. "It's all right. I know there's a lot of peer pressure, but I also know that you're a lot stronger than that, Sev." Her voice was encouraging and proud, and it made Severus feel horribly guilty and slightly sick, but he pushed the feeling aside to bask in her admiration.

"Thanks," he said, smiling warmly. For the time being, he'd try to avoid any of the places his friends might go while he was with her.

A loud noise came from the front of the library near the door. Severus looked up, and almost automatically, his expression soured and he sniffed disdainfully.

"What?" said Lily, who was facing away from the door and too preoccupied with her work to bother looking behind her.

"It's Potter," he snarled.

Dropping her quill instantly, Lily looked up at Severus and said, "Just stay out of his way, Sev. I don't need you starting a fight."

The warning, however, wasn't necessary, because James turned away from his girlfriend with a sneer and called out, "Oi, Snivellus, all right there?"

Scowling, Severus turned his face away and looked down at his blank sheet of parchment.

"Ooh, look at that. What a coward," James snickered.

"Just walk away, Sev," Lily advised him without even glancing up.

"Is she your girlfriend, Snape? 'Course not, there's no way she'd go for the likes of you," said James.

"Yeah!" agreed Savannah enthusiastically. "Oh, James, you're so clever and manly."

"As if I haven't seen the way _you_ look at her," Severus said, despite Lily's warnings. In truth, it didn't matter what she said; he would always hate Potter more than he lov-liked Lily.

"What?" snapped James.

"Severus, just go away," Lily pleaded. "Don't let that toerag get the better of you."

"Yeah, go away, Snivellus!" cried Savannah. "My James has eyes only for me!"

With a final glance at Lily, Severus stood up and walked away, but shot a quick jinx at James's shoes that caused his laces to tie themselves together. Silently, he smirked to himself as he realized that James had not noticed.

"He's like your bloody dog, Evans," said James, laughing. "Does whatever you say."

"Shut up, Potter. I'm not interested in talking to you. I have plenty to do," she replied coldly.

"Don't be so mean!" Savannah cried. "Don't worry, James. You have me. You don't need to worry about the mean girl."

"Er. Okay, Savannah. Let's finish studying the Charms chapter." Looking slightly awkward, James turned away from his girlfriend and opened his book. Lily bit back the urge to make a comment about him studying for once; after all, she didn't want Gene Fitzpatrick to hate her that much.

"James," sighed Savannah after a few short moments of peaceful silence. "Why won't you hold my hand?"

"Savannah, come on. I'm studying," James tried.

"No," she whined, pouting. "I want you to hold my hand. You never hold my hand."

"That's not true," he insisted half-heartedly. "I-I hold your hand. Come on. You're, er, my girlfriend. Why wouldn't I hold your hand?"

"That's what I'm asking you," she said, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest.

Lily could not believe what she was being forced to hear.

"You don't like me anymore," Savannah said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh, Savannah. Come on, don't say that," said James, trying pathetically to pat her arm. She yanked it back.

"No! You don't like me at all! If you did, you'd hold my hand more often!" she cried out, the tears now falling down her cheeks.

"Savannah, I'm sure I hold your hand all-all the time!" said James, slightly unsure of what to do.

Lily was having immense trouble focusing. She really needed to get this work done. Her fingers twitched toward her wand, dying to try out a new hex she'd learned.

"_I_ always have to reach for _your_ hand. _You_ never reach for _mine_! It's soo unromantic!" Savannah was now completely bawling.

"It's-I, er, I-I'm sorry…?" he tried.

"If you want to break up with me just say it!" she screamed.

Having had her last straw, Lily stood up and slammed her book shut, gathered her things, and stomped out of the library without looking back. It was probably for the better. It would have been very difficult to explain how Potter's toes somehow ended up growing over his head.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand why you insist on being friends with him," said Julian, shaking his head. He had come down to speak to his sister with the intent of talking her out of her friendship with Sirius Black, but Brooklyn's fiercely stubborn expression made him slightly nervous.<p>

"He's a good friend, Julian. You're just not giving him a chance," she said.

"Everyone gets a chance, Brooklyn. He just blew his before I even actually met him. At the party," he said.

Brooklyn scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. You just don't want to like him."

"Why the hell would I want that?" he cried.

"Shut up, Julian. You don't want to admit you were wrong."

"I insist on disliking him because he was unbelievable horrid to you, Brooklyn," Julian growled. "I don't want him to hurt you."

"He's not my boyfriend!" she cried out. "You don't have to worry about people hurting me. Dammit, Julian, just let it go. My friends are not your bloody business."

"Come on, Brooklyn," he pleaded, grasping at his last chance. "You've got to trust me. The Black family is no good. They've been getting worse and worse. This thing—it's just Sirius's way of rebelling like all kids do!"

"Then this is my way of rebelling, too," said Brooklyn, crossing her arms over her chest. She would not listen to her brother make claims and judgments about someone he didn't know at all. She knew Sirius, she knew he was a good person, and he was her friend. It would have been nice if her brother could realize that, but if he refused to, she'd just have to deal with it.

Just then, Lily approached their spot in the common room with a stack of books in her arms. "Dammit, Brooklyn, I've got to study these four subjects _and_ do two essays _and_ learn three practical spells all tonight, and Charlie's gone missing and Vix and Janice don't like studying at all and I know you don't either but you're gonna help me because you're my friend—"

"Whoa, Lily, calm down," laughed Brooklyn. "I, er, I really would love to help you, Lily, but, erm, I've got-got something to, er—"

"BROOKLYN TERRENCE YOU'RE NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS! I AM REALLY IRRITATED AND I REALLY NEED TO GET THIS WORK DONE AND I AM _NOT_ IN THE MOOD FOR AN EXCUSE!"

"Bloody hell," muttered Brooklyn. "What's got your wand in a knot?"

With a heavy huff, Lily sat down in the chair next to her and blew her hair out of her face irritably. "Sorry. Hey Julian. It's just-It's Potter," she said.

"Lily, he's really not that bad—"

"Do. Not," said Lily, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Sorry."

"James Potter? What did he do to you?" wondered Julian.

"Wrong thing to say," Brooklyn whispered.

"What did he do? What did he DO? Other than make my life completely and totally miserable ever since I set foot in this God-forsaken castle?"

"Lily, Hogwarts is anything but God-forsaken, I mean, look at the size and bloody décor—"

"Shut up, Brooklyn."

"Sorry."

"Okay, okay, sorry," said Julian, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I just meant, what did he do, like, right now to make you so angry?"

She sighed again and griped, "He came trotting into the library with that _tart_ Suzanna—"

"Savannah—"

"—and they came to the table right next to mine and started arguing about holding hands. Arguing. About. Holding. Hands. I was reading the same sentence over and over again because Suzanna's—"

"Savannah's—"

"—bloody whining was so piercing that I couldn't focus!"

"James and Savannah are having relationship problems?" said Brooklyn wonderingly.

Lily shot her a dirty look. "Not the point, Brooklyn."

"Lily, if I may offer some advice," said Julian warily, "I'd say you should just let your problems with James Potter go. He may be sort of bigheaded, but that's really not your problem."

"He _exists_ to make me miserable, Julian. It is my problem," said Lily stubbornly.

"He may be totally wrong about _other things_, but Julian's pretty much right here. You should drop it. It'll be easier on you, 'cause Merlin knows Potter doesn't give a fart," said Brooklyn.

"What are you even doing here, Julian?" asked Lily.

Julian stared at her, looking slightly amused and slightly offended at the same time.

"Oh, no, no! Sorry, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant, why are you hanging out with your second year sister and her second year friend when you could hang out with your own cool sixth year friends," she explained hurriedly, blushing.

"Hey!" Brooklyn protested. "Before I met you and Charlie I was hanging out with Julian and his friends. They respect me." She puffed up her chest in pride.

"Oh, get off your high hippogriff there, Brooklyn. We pitied you," he joked.

Brooklyn pouted. "No you didn't. You thought I was funny. And cool."

"Uh huh. Sure, Brooklyn. Let's say that. But to answer you, Lily," he said, "it's because I was here to tell Brooklyn to stop seeing Sirius Black."

"Seeing? Brooklyn, you're_ seeing_ him now?!" Lily squealed excitedly. "I thought you only liked—liked, er, liked his company!" She caught herself after seeing the terrified look on Brooklyn's face.

"Er, what-what just happened?" said Julian, looking back and forth between the two girls.

"Nothing," said Brooklyn quickly. "No, Lily I'm not _seeing _him. My stupid brother just used a dumb word. He meant literally seeing, like stop actually seeing him with my eyes, because Julian lives in the 1800s and doesn't know that seeing now means dating."

Julian shoved her half-playfully, half-seriously. "I'm not joking. You need to stop seeing—being friends with him."

"Why?" asked Lily. Of course, she knew why Julian didn't want Brooklyn and Sirius to be friends, but she felt like he should at least make his case to her.

Dumbfounded, Julian said, "You-you don't know why? She hasn't told you?"

"No," said Lily. "She's told me what happened at Charlie's party. She hasn't told me why you don't want her to be friends with him anymore."

"Come on, Lily," he said desperately. "You hate that little gang. You must understand why."

"To be fair, I don't hate _that little gang_, per se. I hate Potter and Black for being arrogant, and sometimes Pettigrew for being moronic, but I don't hate Remus," she replied.

"Okay, okay, whatever." He waved her comment away. "But my point is, you hate Sirius Black. So you should understand my reasoning."

"No," she argued. "I hate Sirius Black because he's stupid, arrogant, and completely not worth anyone's snot."

"Thanks, Lil," Brooklyn muttered under her breath so that her brother couldn't hear.

"But—and I'm just putting two and two together here—you were against him after Charlie's family's party, and that incident has nothing to do with my reasons. So tell me, why do you not want Brooklyn to see him?"

Unwilling to back down, Julian tried, "Well, obviously, he was an arse at the party."

"Wrong," said Brooklyn. "His mother was a crazy devil-lady at the party. _He_ didn't do anything."

"Doesn't matter," Julian insisted. "By association, he's a bad person."

"I disagree," said Lily.

"Well, I didn't ask," he said brusquely.

"Well, you're being a jerk to Brooklyn, so too damn bad. Charlie told me her grandfather is a pureblood supremacist. Does that make her, by association, a pureblood supremacist?" she challenged.

"Hell, I don't know!" cried Julian. "I just know that the Black family is the most infamous for their pureblood mania and if you're not careful, Brooklyn, they're going to hurt you!"

"Why does it even matter?" Brooklyn shouted, frustrated beyond anything else. "They were wrong! _She_ was wrong! I'm from a pureblood family, Julian. You bloody well know that, so just get off my case. I'm sure she figured out was a stupid idiot she was later, and Sirius also knows I'm a pureblood. There's no way for them to hurt me, Julian!"

"Yes, they can!" He was standing now, yelling, and most of the people in the common room were watching. Sirius and James had just walked in, closely followed by a tearful Savannah Hodges. James locked eyes with Lily, who looked away quickly. Watching the scene tensely, Sirius prayed for Charlie to come into the common room soon, before it turned into something very nasty.

"How are they supposed to hurt me if they don't even know what they're saying? What they said isn't even true! It doesn't hurt if it's not true!" she screamed, on her feet as well.

"Because it is!" Julian shouted, delivering the final blow. "It's bloody true, all right? Mum lied!"

Brooklyn froze, her face falling like an injured puppy's.

"Oh, God," gasped Julian, reaching forward to his sister. "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Brooklyn, I didn't mean to say that…"

"What the hell do you mean?" she said in a confused whisper.

Julian sighed, running his hands through his hair regretfully. Lily watched him, also confused. At that moment, Charlie came in through the portrait door, panting slightly. Not looking where she was going, she almost ran right into Sirius and James.

"What's going on?" she hissed in their ears.

"Julian just told Brooklyn she's adopted," said Sirius, his eyes glowing murderously.

"What?" she said, shocked. "He did?"

"Well, he's going to right now," said James. "I bloody well hope he at least goes away for some privacy."

"Brooklyn," began Julian in an almost silent voice. "Mum didn't want to tell you this, because you were really upset after the party, but-but we adopted you when you were a year old."

"Well, that idea's out," said Sirius.

"No way Brooklyn would've let him go somewhere else, anyway," said Charlie.

"Could've tried though," said James regretfully. "Bloody hell, I can't believe he's doing this."

"Erm, it's a really, er, sad story, but you don't need to know it," Julian continued.

"I'm—adopted?" repeated Brooklyn.

"Oh, Brooklyn," said Lily, standing up to take her friend's hand. Brooklyn, however, jerked away.

"Look, Brooklyn, I shouldn't have told you like that, I'm feeling like such an arse—"

"Whatever," she said, waving it away. She cleared her throat. "I'm fine."

"No, Brooklyn. You're not. Please, let's, like, go somewhere else and talk about it—"

"I said I'm fine," she repeated, staring at her adoptive brother. "I'm glad."

"You're-you're glad?" he said, confused.

"Bloody hell," murmured Lily. "You shouldn't have said anything, Julian. Here it comes."

"Oh, God, she's really going for it, isn't she?" whispered Charlie from across the room.

"What?" said James, confused.

"No idea, mate," said Sirius.

"I'm glad," she said, "because it means I'm not related to the jerk you are."

There was a collective intake of breath around the common room. Julian's face crumbled and he stepped back as though her words were knives flying through the air at him, which, in a way, they were. "Brooklyn—" he whispered.

"Whatever. I'm done here." She turned away from him and left the room, portrait door swinging shut behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Whoa. Very serious stuff. What do you think of Julian's logic? And James and Savannah's dying relationship? And Lily's little crush? Leave your thoughts! Coming up, a lot of Brooklyn and Sirius, Severus and Lily, and some more Marauders. Keep reading and reviewing!

~Maya


	16. Year Two: Stagnant

**A/N:** So after that great big bout of drama, we'll see what happens between Brooklyn and Julian. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Stagnant

Julian stood still and watched with everyone else as his sister stalked out of the room. For a moment, he simply could not move. Guilt crashed onto him in waves of images that flashed through his mind: His mother bringing one-year-old Brooklyn into the home for the first time, Brooklyn playing Quidditch with him and his friends, Brooklyn on the train to Hogwarts in his compartment, five-year-old Brooklyn chasing him around the house for not getting her a good enough birthday present, seven-year-old Brooklyn presenting him with his favorite book for Christmas. And Brooklyn's destroyed face as he shouted the most hurtful words he could ever say to her.

He made to follow her, but Lily spoke quietly, "You probably shouldn't, Julian. Just let her have some time without you."

"How can I do that?" he whispered. "I-I hurt her so badly. I can't believe I-I actually did that."

"Yeah. Me neither," said Lily, shrugging. "But she doesn't want to see you right now. Trust me."

Looking as though he desperately wanted to argue, but couldn't find the words, Julian nodded and fell into his seat. As the dramatic scene closed, the people in the Gryffindor Common Room returned to their things, whispering about Julian Terrence.

Lily stood up and went over to join Charlie and, to her great reluctance, the Marauders. Even though she would rather never speak to them for as long as she lived, she decided that today, Brooklyn's best interests were more important than her own enmities.

"That was bloody awful," said Charlie in a low voice, glancing over at Julian. His friends, including Gene Fitzpatrick, had now surrounded him.

"Yeah," murmured Lily.

"You're telling me," said Sirius furiously. "I'd like to go over there and rip his eyes out."

"Whoa, Sirius. You should probably calm down," said Charlie, looking wary.

"Calm down? Are you serious? How the hell am I supposed to—"

"Shut up, Black," said Lily firmly. "You think this is what Brooklyn wants? You think she wants you to get angry? Don't you think she's angry enough for everyone?"

"Are you joking? He's right!" cried James. "Brooklyn is a friend and Julian just embarrassed her in front of, like, everyone!"

"I am _not_ in the mood to deal with you right now, Potter," Lily hissed. "All you care about is whether or not YOU get to play the bloody hero!"

"It's not about me, Evans! It's about Brooklyn. Like you bloody said," he retorted angrily. "And right now, whether you like it or not, Brooklyn needs a hero."

"Brooklyn needs a _friend_," said Lily.

"It's what a Gryffindor would do," said James, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Yeah, so we prank the hell out of him, right?" said Sirius enthusiastically.

"Somehow, I don't see that as a good idea," Remus murmured, having looked upon the whole scene with an air of slight fear.

"Thank you, Remus!" cried Lily, her tone still carrying some leftover anger towards James and Sirius, which clashed oddly with her smile. "We should be focusing on helping Brooklyn, not punishing Julian."

"And anyway, Julian's going to suffer enough," added Charlie.

"How do you figure that?" Sirius grumbled.

"Well," explained Charlie, "You know how much Brooklyn means to him—" Sirius scoffed "—and knowing that he did that to her is gonna kill him. Not to mention he's like, super popular."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" snapped Sirius.

"Everyone's gonna be talking about it! Everywhere he goes he's just gonna be reminded of it. Even after Brooklyn forgives him and everything," said Charlie.

"I still think we should rip his eyes out," Sirius muttered.

"Bloody Merlin, Black!" Lily exclaimed. "Just shut up! Stop thinking about yourself and think about Brooklyn!"

Sirius fell silent.

"Then…what do we do?" said Remus hopelessly.

"Wow, you boys are morons," muttered Charlie.

"Brooklyn needs to be alone," said Lily. Hesitantly, her eyes settled on Sirius. "With you."

"Er, what?" Sirius was wholly confused. He was the reason for Brooklyn's fight with her brother. Wouldn't she prefer to not speak to him for a while?

"You heard me," said Lily tersely. "She needs to be alone with you. You're the only one who'll be able to talk to her."

"But…but if my mother was right, and Brooklyn is a mu—a muggleborn, then shouldn't you talk to her?" Sirius asked in a pathetically befuddled tone.

"And I will. But later. After you do," she replied.

"I'm with Lily on this one," said Charlie softly.

"I…have no idea why, but I guess I'll agree," said Remus. "Go talk to her, mate."

"Come on!" he said. "I'm, like, the reason that whole thing just happened! Don't you think she's got to be mad at me?"

"Black, you clearly don't know the first thing about Brooklyn," said Lily impatiently. "I may not like you, but I know my friend, and you're the person she's got to talk to right now."

"I-I don't even know where she is!" cried Sirius, hoping his friends wouldn't see through the lie.

James snorted. "Right, like you don't go to secret places with her all throughout the castle. Come on, she's like your best friend."

"You-you're my best friends," Sirius tried.

"Shut up, okay? You know what I mean," said James impatiently.

"Just go find her," said Lily, casting a cold look at James. "You'll make her feel better."

Defeated, Sirius nodded in assent and followed Brooklyn's footsteps out of the common room without another word.

Meanwhile, Julian could barely say three words to his friends without the lump in his throat threatening to push the tears out of his eyes.

"Mate, you should've been better about that," Gene sighed.

"I know. I know," muttered Julian.

"Look, just wait a bit. She'll talk to you. She'll have to," said another one of his friends, Banks.

"Why would she do that?" said Julian monotonously.

"Because she'll want answers, and you'll have them," said Banks matter-of-factly.

Julian let out a shaky breath. "Yeah. Yeah you're probably right," he murmured.

"You'll have to work to get her to let it go," Sasha Olaf said, his accent making the words harsher than they were.

"All right, all right. Look, I just need to be left alone, okay?" Even though it was pretty amazing that he still had friends after his unforgivable outburst, he really could not take it anymore; all he wanted was a hot shower in which he could beat himself up sufficiently without anybody bothering him. Quietly murmuring apologies, Julian's friends slowly drifted away, leaving him to sink deep into his guilt.

* * *

><p>He found her up in the Astronomy Tower, staring at the sky with teary eyes. Unsure of what to say, he simply stood by her side and followed her gaze.<p>

It wasn't that Sirius did not want to comfort Brooklyn. He was hesitant because he knew he'd say the wrong thing. He knew he cared for her immensely, the throbbing in his heart after watching the scene was clear proof of that, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to voice that. After all, he was a twelve-year-old boy with a love for pranking and making everything into a joke. As he walked toward the place where he knew Brooklyn would be, dread consumed him. Damn that Evans for being so persistent.

"I thought you might come," she sniffled. "But I don't need you."

Sirius shrugged and smiled slightly. "Hell, that's what I tried to tell them." He had been hoping for even a hint of a smile from Brooklyn, but got nothing but a dead stare.

"So you knew," she said. It wasn't a question.

For a moment, Sirius considered lying. But, "Yeah, I knew."

A pause. "Who told you?"

Again, he hesitated. "Charlie."

"Well how did she know?" There was a slight surprised tone in her voice, but other than that it remained monotonous.

"Her mother told her," Sirius explained. "And she told me when-when I asked her about you."

Brooklyn tore her eyes from the stars to look at Sirius. "You asked her about me?"

"Er…er, yeah. Yeah I did," he said awkwardly. "Because, like, I wasn't sure about—if you were, well, okay with me. Like I thought you might be angry. At me, that is."

She nodded vaguely. Again, Sirius was disappointed at her lack of zeal. "So I guess my mum must've told Charlie's mum," said Brooklyn bitterly, turning back to the stars.

"Hey," said Sirius, "it wasn't really your mum's fault for not wanting you to know."

"Bloody hell, Black, can you just let me be mad at her for a bit? I know it wasn't her fault, but…but I'm angry!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air and whirling to face him, her gray eyes distressed.

"Sorry," muttered Sirius. "Just—I'm not really sure what to do."

Brooklyn smirked lightly. "The confident, cocky Sirius Black is finally out of place. This is something the world should never see."

"Why?" said Sirius, grinning. "You like this sensitive side of me? Wanna keep it all to yourself?" He winked.

She let out a giggle; Sirius felt relief surge through him. "Ew, keep that to yourself!"

"Damn, I thought you'd fall for my charm," he joked.

She had. "I'm not one of those bimbos like Savannah Hodges."

"Right you are, there," Sirius chuckled. He had no idea what had compelled his best friend to suddenly declare love for such an airheaded, prissy girl.

"So what's happening between those two, by the way?" said Brooklyn, looking back up at the stars. Sirius found himself wishing she would look at him again.

"I dunno," he said, shrugging. "But she was in a right state earlier. Think they're gonna break up?"

"Don't know, don't care, as long as he finally admits that he's bloody dying for Lily." Brooklyn smiled a wide smile. "They'd be damn cute, wouldn't they?"

"Terrence, I am a man," Sirius declared. "And men don't say 'cute.'"

With a laugh, she playfully shoved him. "Give that a rest. You're alone with me. I'm practically a man, too. You can say cute."

For some reason, his heart jumped. "You're not a man," he blurted out.

Giving him an inquisitive glance, Brooklyn cocked her head. "I know I'm a girl, Sirius. It was just a, I dunno, a figure of speech or something?"

"Well…yeah, I-I suppose you're right," he said quietly.

After several moments in silence, Brooklyn said in an injured whisper, "Why did he do that?"

Sirius didn't have to ask her who she was talking about. "I don't know. He's a git." He clenched his jaw. It didn't matter what the girls said, Julian Terrence was not worth a pig's spit in his eyes.

"My brother's not a git," she said harshly.

"Whoa!" cried Sirius. "You're joking, right? He just tossed some really, like, painful stuff at you in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room in front of everyone!"

"Yeah, but he's not a git. He's my brother," she said stubbornly.

"How the hell can you say that?" demanded a very irritated Sirius.

"Because he was looking out for me," replied Brooklyn. "He just messed up, that's all."

"Messed up?!" he repeated, outraged. "Messed up? Come on, Brooklyn. That was more than just _messed up_!"

"Can you not make me defend him right now? 'Cause I really don't bloody feel like it." She scowled at him.

"Or we can try, like, _not_ defending him," Sirius replied sarcastically. She was being so ridiculous; Julian had so obviously wronged her, and here she was, protecting him!

"Shut up, Sirius, just shut up!" she cried. "You're such a moron, really. Like, I just don't get what it takes to make guys like you get a bloody clue."

"Oh, all right!" yelled Sirius. "You're actually defending the person who hurt and _humiliated_ you in front of the entire Gryffindor and _I'M _the one who needs to get a clue?!"

For a moment, Brooklyn was silent. Then, with a horrible bitterness in her voice, she said, "I don't wanna talk anymore," and she hurried past him, through the doors, and down the stairs into the castle.

* * *

><p>A few more days rolled by, and Brooklyn had barely to anyone. She had, however, been saying more to people than James and Savannah had been saying to each other. Trying and failing to make a point of giving him the "cold shoulder," Savannah had spent every moment since their fight in the library walking up to James, sniffing, and turning to stalk away. James, on the other hand, could not care less. Every time she performed one of her "cold shoulder" acts, he awkwardly looked in a different direction, and when she walked away, he would almost immediately forget her.<p>

When the weekend finally arrived, everyone breathed a heavy sigh of relief for the much needed break. Lily, in particular, felt enormously wonderful: She spent the entirety of Saturday morning dancing around the girls' dormitory room singing, "I'm free! I'm free!" After about twenty minutes of nonstop Lily-squealing, Charlie put her foot down.

"Merlin, Lily, are you ready to go to breakfast already? I kinda need my bacon and eggs," Charlie grumbled.

Lily stopped dancing and stood still on top of the bed. Pouting, she said, "Why do you have to poop on my happiness?"

"Just get out of those pajamas and put on some normal clothes," Charlie laughed. "Or I'm leaving without you."

With a jokingly heavy sigh, Lily jumped off of the bed and changed into a pair of jeans and one of her nicest blouses. Almost frantically, she checked her face and hair in the mirror, running her hand over the top of her head to flatten it.

"Hel-lo!" commented Charlie, grinning. "Who are you trying to impress?"

"Er…no one," said Lily, blushing slightly. "Just…in a good mood."

Charlie scoffed. "That's a pathetic excuse. You're not gonna weasel out of this one."

"No, come on, Charlie," she insisted. "There really is no one. I just feel really good."

"No, Lily. _You_ come on. You never, ever dress that nicely to breakfast on a regular Saturday. You never even dress that nicely to breakfast on a special Saturday."

"Charlie, seriously—"

"In fact, I've never even seen you wear something that nice to a _special Hogwarts dinner_," said Charlie, looking awed.

Lily was now determinedly looking anywhere but at Charlie and desperately willing the red to melt off of her cheeks.

"So," Charlie continued with an evil waggle of the eyebrows, "there is definitely something _very_ special today."

"Look, it's-it's nothing, okay? Just let it go," said Lily.

"No way," said Charlie, shaking her head.

"Please, Charlie?" Lily begged.

Charlie opened her mouth to tease Lily further, but at that moment, Brooklyn walked into the room. Instantly, the girls fell silent and waited for their friend to make a move, but she merely took her wand from her bedside table, grabbed her robes, and promptly left the dormitory without a word.

On the first two days, Lily and Charlie would talk in hushed, worried whispers about their friend's behavior, but now it had become routine. Of course, they had tried to talk to her: about the incident, about an amusing anecdote, about Julian, about Sirius, about unrelated things, but Brooklyn never responded. Now, they simply told themselves it would blow over after some time, and they tried to ignore the pangs of worry in their guts.

"Forget it," muttered Lily, reaching for a cloak to cover herself.

"Oh, no, Lily!" cried Charlie. "Don't take that! I'm sorry!"

"What?" said Lily, confused.

"Don't take the cloak," Charlie explained, looking truly apologetic. "I'm sorry, I won't tease you. But don't hide that blouse on account of me."

Slightly amused, Lily smiled. "Charlie, if you think I'd do anything on account of you, or anyone else, you really don't know me." It was somewhat, only a tiny bit true that Lily had grabbed her cloak partially because of Charlie's words, but of course, Charlie didn't need to know that.

"Then, what's with the cloak?" asked Charlie.

Lily shrugged. "I was cold. Can we go to breakfast now, please?"

"YES!" shouted Charlie, and she ran out the door.

Smirking, Lily hung her cloak back up absentmindedly and followed her friend to the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>The truth of the matter was that Lily had really been in the mood to look nice, but it was also a part of her plan to redeem herself in Gene Fitzpatrick's eyes. Her mission, however, proved moot when they realized it was a Hogsmeade Saturday, and everyone third year and older was ready to leave when they arrived in the Great Hall. Charlie would have commented on Lily's glum expression had it not been for the Marauders approaching them and driving Lily away instantly.<p>

"What's her problem?" said James irritably.

"Uh, I don't know, maybe…you?" suggested Charlie with a wink.

"Why?" moaned James. "I don't get what I did to her."

"Well, let's see. You turned her hair green. You pick fights with her. You pick _on_ her. You bother her in class. Need I say more?" Charlie was grinning, despite James's upset expression.

"Just let it go, mate. You have a girlfriend. Let Lily Evans go," said Remus.

"Yeah!" added Peter. "And even if you didn't have a girlfriend, Evans would go out with you in a minute!"

"Yeah, mate," said Sirius, clapping his friend on the back. "What, is Savannah not any fun anymore?"

James sighed. "I don't know. She just keeps crying about stupid things…"

Charlie burst into laughter. "James, you should seriously just break up with her."

At this, James looked extremely uncomfortable. "No, no, it's okay. I-I think it'll be okay…"

Still snickering, Charlie shrugged. "Suit yourself. She just doesn't seem your type, that's all."

"James has a type?" said Sirius wonderingly, earning himself a punch in the shoulder.

"So, anyway," said James, his glare becoming a mischievous look, "would you like to join us in something amazing?"

"And what would that be?" said Charlie, amused.

"We," whispered Sirius, taking great pauses to dramatize his words, "Are. Going. To. Hogsmeade."

"But you're second years," said Charlie, confused. "You can't go to Hogsmeade."

"Don't be daft, Benedict," said Sirius, grinning widely. "We're going to sneak in."

"It's going to be awesome!" squeaked Peter.

"And how are you planning on doing that?" said Charlie.

"We're using the Cloak," said James, rolling his eyes. "Obviously."

"For the record, I'm not going," said Remus.

The other two boys huffed and glared at him.

"Can you stop saying that, Lupin?" muttered Sirius. "It was hard enough to hear the first time."

"Yeah, just-just shut up," said James, looking genuinely pained.

"Whoa," said Charlie, laughing. "It's like you guys are in one big, awkward, fluffy relationship."

"Hey!" exclaimed James.

"Shut up!" protested Sirius.

"Ew!" shouted Peter.

"That would be awkward, I agree," said Remus, smirking.

"So, seriously, why aren't you going, Remus?" said Charlie.

"He's stupid."

"He hates fun."

"He's stupid and he hates fun."

"Thanks," muttered Remus. "But it's because I have a lot of work to do this weekend. A certain night really put me behind."

"Oh, hell, that bites," said Charlie sympathetically. "But, not enough for me to stay and comfort you. I'm coming to Hogsmeade."

The boys whooped and jumped in the air, pumping their fists victoriously and sticking their tongues out immaturely at Remus. The blonde boy laughed heartily.

"You all have fun," he said, and left the group to head to the library.

* * *

><p>Charlie did not tell Lily she was sneaking into Hogsmeade because she knew her friend would disapprove too strongly. Instead, she caught Lily's eye from across the Hall and gave her a light wave good-bye. Lily looked a little confused, but waved back nonetheless. As she watched her friend exit the Great Hall with the Moron-ders, she let out a disappointed sigh. It looked like she would be alone today. On the other end of the table, she saw Gene Fitzpatrick talking to a very pretty blonde girl, and her mood worsened. As he smiled charmingly at the blonde, Lily's stomach turned. Suddenly, her bacon and eggs no longer looked appetizing. Feeling slightly annoyed at her mood crash, Lily headed toward the Slytherin table to talk to the only friend she saw available.<p>

Severus saw her coming. Hurriedly, he announced to his friends, "I'm no longer hungry. I'll see you all back in the Common Room." A little surprised, but mostly indifferent, his friends murmured their good-byes, but Severus was long gone. He met Lily halfway—if as far away from the Slytherin table as possible can be counted as halfway.

"Hey, Lily," he said.

"Hi, Sev!" said Lily, smiling warmly. Clearly, and to Severus's overwhelming relief, she had no idea he'd just run away from his friends so as not to be seen with her. "I was just about to come over there!"

"Oh, that's not necessary now," said Severus, returning her smile.

"What's up?" she said, as they made their way out of the Hall.

"Nothing," he said, shrugging. It was true; all Severus ever felt when he was with Lily was a calm happiness. He never really had anything to say.

"My day is going really badly out of nowhere," she told him.

"Why?"

"Well, Brooklyn hasn't been talking to anyone, and Charlie went off with the Moron-ders—"

Severus snorted.

Lily paused. "What?"

"Nothing. That was funny. Sorry. Go on?" he prompted, still smirking slightly.

"All right." Lily giggled and Severus smiled at the sound almost reflexively. "So now I'm really bored. And it's really even more stupid because I was in a really good mood in the morning, but then I saw Gene with a girl and—"

"Wait, what?"

Lily halted, a mortified expression on her face. "Oh, Merlin," she groaned.

"Who's Gene?" demanded Severus.

"Nobody. He's nobody. It doesn't matter," she tried.

Severus wasn't buying it. "Who is he?"

Lily groaned again. "He's one of the Gryffindor prefects," she said in a tiny voice.

"And why does it bother you that he's talking to a girl?" Severus's heart was pounding inexplicably hard. Lily was silent, blushing a color that made her look more beautiful than ever to him. "You like him?" he said monotonously, not looking at her.

Sighing, she replied, "Look, don't go spreading it around, okay?"

"Why would I do that?" He shrugged indifferently.

"Come on, Sev, please," she said. "You have to promise."

The sound of her name for him in her voice did it for him. "I promise I won't," he said. She sighed, relieved, and Severus said, "I have to go now."

And before she could say another word he had turned the next corner and disappeared.

* * *

><p>"This stuff is bloody amazing!" Charlie yelled over the chattering crowd as she slammed a glass of butterbeer onto the table. She kept looking around the room; Hogsmeade was mind-blowingly wonderful. Every tiny detail showed her how much she had needed to get away from the stress of Brooklyn's withdrawal from the entire Hogwarts community. Charlie had thought she enjoyed Honeydukes the most, but now, in the Three Broomsticks, she felt more comfortable and at home than she had ever felt before.<p>

"You've got a mustache, Charlie," Sirius sniggered.

She licked it off and then stuck her tongue out at him.

"I can't believe you managed to sneak into Hogsmeade a whole year early!" Peter cheered, his eyes glowing.

"Neither can I," Charlie agreed. "I just wish Remus could have come, too."

"Yeah, but you can't really count on Remus for the plans where he ins't really needed," Peter said, smiling at James as if to say, '_You can always count on me_.' Unfortunately for him, his words did not have the effect that would have inspired.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" James demanded.

Immediately, Peter's smile disappeared as he flushed an ugly, blotchy red color, and he could barely force out a few stutters.

"Yeah?" James prompted angrily. "Are you really saying we can't _count on_ Remus?"

"N-no," stuttered Peter. "I-I'm sorry—"

"Yeah, you better not be saying that. Remus is an amazing friend, mate. Do you know why?"

Peter squeaked a terrified sound.

"Because he stuck with us every single prank even though he's, like, pretty much _disabled_ once a month. You bloody saw him, Peter! You saw what he looked like that day! How can you say that he's not a good friend?" James no longer looked angry or scolding, merely frustrated and disappointed.

"James, mate, just let it go," said Sirius.

"How can I—"

"Peter's a prat, anyway," he said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "You know what he meant."

Peter's face fell slightly (more than it already had) at Sirius's comment, but he nodded in agreement neverhtless. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry," he said.

James sighed. "I know you are, mate. Just don't say that about Remus again. He's the best of all of us."

Again, Peter nodded, hanging his head in shame.

Charlie snickered slightly and faked vehement sobs.

"What?" said Sirius, confused.

"You're all so emotionally attached. It's touching," she giggled. She wasn't really able to fake sob very well.

"Shut up," said James, blushing slightly.

"No, no, no. You're making me cry," she said, still giggling.

"You suck at fake crying," Sirius pointed out.

Again, Charlie stuck her tongue out at him.

As they laughed and poked fun at each other, Bellatrix Black, Lucius Malfoy, and Rodolphus Lestrange sat across the room, discussing something that was apparently very amusing.

"And then," Bellatrix Black was saying, "she just started gagging and crying, like this." Her body and face convulsed horribly as she mimicked whoever she was speaking of. To the Marauders' great disgust, the Slytherins surrounding her exploded in laughter.

"That must've been bloody brilliant to see!" chuckled Lucius Malfoy, giving Bellatrix an appreciative pat on the back.

"Yeah, it was! Unfortunately Andromeda didn't think it was too funny," she responded, shrugging casually.

"Bella, you shouldn't worry about her," said Rodolphus Lestrange in a soothing voice.

"You sound like Narcissa," sneered Bellatrix.

"That does quite sound like something she'd say," said Lucius, smiling thoughtfully.

"Bloody hell, Lucius, don't tell me you've got an eye for my sister!" cried Bellatrix.

"I haven't got an eye for anyone," said Lucius coolly. "I'm only agreeing with your statement that Rodolphus said something that Narcissa would likely say."

For a moment, Bellatrix stared Lucius Malfoy down, but eventually let her gaze drop as she received no sense of nervousness in him. "It doesn't matter," she said offhandedly. "She's just a first year."

"Well, it is true that Andromeda's opinion affects you, Bella," Rodolphus pointed out.

Again, Bellatrix shrugged as though his words made no difference.

"Ever since she was Sorted into Ravenclaw, things have been tense between you two," he continued, as though Bellatrix's piercing glare had no effect on him.

"It doesn't matter," she said impatiently. "Just bloody drop it, Lestrange. Anyway, I think we ought to exit with a bang this year, don't you?"

"It's October," said Lucius peevishly. "You can't be serious."

"All right, all right," she conceded, still smiling voraciously. "I still think Hogwarts needs a little taste from us."

"And who is us?" said Rodolphus.

"You know who we are, Rodolphus. You know who we are."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** BOOM! The first hint to the darkness that's coming. I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave reviews and I will post more quickly!

~Maya


	17. Year Two: Questions

**A/N:** I'm so very sorry I haven't updated in forever. I've been really blocked and kind of bummed that I didn't get any reviews for my last few chapters, because I did work very hard on them. It was disappointing to not see any feedback.

However, I recently got a couple reviews from **harrypotterforeverx** asking me to update soon, and I'm so grateful for that. It really motivated me to keep going. So this chapter is dedicated to him or her! Thank you!

~Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Questions

Brooklyn was seriously not able to handle what she had been burdened with. She appreciated her friends' attempts to help, but truth be told, she couldn't explain why it wasn't working. The few days after Julian's outburst Brooklyn had spent tucked away in a corner in the library, in the Owlery, in her bed, or soaking in the Prefects' bathroom—she had stolen the password from Julian's friends the year before and had been using their wonderful, heaven-scented bathroom since.

Enjoying the refreshing aromas and the soothing bubbles was the only thing Brooklyn could think of to get back at Julian. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to be cruel and spend the rest of her life mocking him bitterly to her friends. That was part of the reason she couldn't talk to them—she knew they'd encourage her to forget about Julian and that they would insult him ferociously. They were good friends, but they didn't understand what she needed. After all was said and done, Julian was not the problem. She knew she'd forgive him, sometimes she felt like she already had, but now she needed to make peace with the news he'd thrown in her face. That was the problem.

"All right, that's it!" said Lily, bursting into the girls' dormitory aggressively.

A weak-looking Brooklyn barely stirred in her bed.

With a heavy and frustrated sigh, Lily stomped up to Brooklyn's lumpy form and yanked the blanket off of her in one sweeping motion. Still, the blonde girl didn't even look up.

"It's time to get up, Brooklyn," she said, more gently this time.

Softly, Brooklyn moaned, and she shut her eyes tightly.

Again, Lily sighed. "You're leaving me no choice, Brooklyn." And she raised her wand and jabbed it at her friend's limp body.

As the spell hit her with a "WHOOSH" sound, Brooklyn was overcome with a hysterical fit of giggles due to invisible hands that seemed to be tickling her brains out.

"Stop! STOP!" she shrieked, clutching her sides and looking desperately up at Lily, who had a smug, victorious expression on her face.

"Are you gonna talk to me?" said Lily, a little loudly over Brooklyn's laughs and screams.

Brooklyn did not answer; Lily's wand remained in the air, twitching ever so slightly to keep the charm active.

"Brooklyn?" she said in a warning voice.

"OKAY! All right!" she shouted. "Just-just stop t-t-tickling me!"

Holding back an amused smile, Lily lowered her wand. Brooklyn shot her a nasty look.

"What the hell was that?" the blonde asked. "I haven't learned that hex."

Lily scoffed. "As if," she said. "I know how much time you spend with the Moron-ders."

Her friend rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I don't know that tickling charm. Where did you learn it?"

"I read. That's not the point, Brooklyn," Lily said impatiently. "We've tiptoed around you for the last, like, forever, and I'm tired of it!"

Shocked, Brooklyn repeated, "Tired?"

"Yes! Brooklyn we have no idea what to do! You won't talk to anyone, you won't look at anyone. You haven't been to meals in so long and no one can ever find you! The only time Charlie and I have ever seen you is when you're asleep—"

And then Brooklyn snapped. "Oh, goodness me, I'm so _sorry_! Merlin, I should've realized that I was causing _you_ grief! Seriously, I'm really, really bloody sorry, Lily!" she shouted.

Slightly taken aback, Lily said, "What?"

"No, no, really," Brooklyn continued, seething. "I should've definitely thought about what all of you were feeling. Who am I to let my own feelings get in the way of the rest of you?"

"Brooklyn—"

"Oh, I am sorry, Lily. Let me go apologize to the rest of my friends now."

"Brooklyn, I—"

"On second thought, let me go apologize to the whole bloody Hogwarts. I created a scene, didn't I? It must've bothered everyone, what I was going through. I shouldn't have put anyone through that whole thing."

"Brooklyn, I'm sorry!" Lily cried. At this, Brooklyn fell silent, though she was still looking daggers at Lily. "I'm sorry," the redhead continued. "I-I didn't mean it that way at all. I just meant, I meant we care about you, that's all."

Brooklyn scoffed. "Yeah. Sure."

"No, really," Lily said earnestly. "I'm sorry, I said it really badly. We've been really worried, and we've just been thinking about you all the time."

"You have?" said Brooklyn, turning her head to look at her friend inquisitively.

"Yeah," she said, nodding vigorously. "But nobody knows how to talk to you."

Her expression softened as she hung her head. "I guess I didn't really want to talk."

"I know," said Lily gently, touching her shoulder. "But you should."

"Why should I?" she said defensively. "It's not like there's really anything to talk about."

"Shut up," said Lily, shoving her. "You know there is, Brooklyn."

Sighing, the blonde said, "But I don't want to talk about it!"

"Brooklyn, if you keep not talking about it, you're never gonna get over it."

There was some truth in that. Once, when Brooklyn was a little girl, she'd yelled at her mother cruelly and hadn't been able to shake the guilty feeling until she'd spoken to Julian about it. Still, she couldn't seem to force the words she'd been aching to say for days out of her mouth.

"You don't have to talk about everything right now," said Lily hurriedly. "Just-just whatever's bugging you the most. Or the least. Whatever's easiest to talk about."

Brooklyn laughed hollowly. "There really isn't anything easy about this, Lily."

"I'm sorry," Lily murmured. "I'm just trying to help."

"Yeah, I guess you are," said Brooklyn sullenly.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" she prompted hesitantly, after a moment's wait.

"Do people look down on you?" said Brooklyn.

Slightly taken aback by this sudden question, Lily said, "What?"

Brooklyn only looked at her, awaiting an answer. The redhead fidgeted uncomfortably before replying, "I guess…they do, yeah."

Sighing, Brooklyn merely nodded. "It's not fair," she muttered.

"What isn't?"

"That Muggleborns are looked down on," said Brooklyn, as if realizing it for the first time.

Of course, the issue of Muggleborn rights had been addressed more than once by the wizarding government in Britain, but the laws were only taken seriously in the work force. Most wizards firmly believed in the hierarchy that placed Muggleborns at the very bottom tier.

"It is unfair," Lily responded, pursing her lips. "And I don't get why it happens."

"I do."

Inquisitively, Lily turned to her friend, unsure of what she could have to say.

"It's like—people who come from a long line of wizards think that they've got more right to, like, wizarding stuff than people who just get to be wizards almost out of nowhere," Brooklyn explained.

"It can't be out of nowhere, though!" Lily protested. "Obviously it comes from somewhere in the lineage right?"

Brooklyn shrugged. "Who knows? The point is it's unfair no matter where the wizard blood comes from. And now people are gonna look at me funny."

"No one's gonna look at you funny, Brooklyn," Lily promised, clutching her friend's hand. "Not the people who matter, anyway."

Not wanting to show her broken face, Brooklyn turned away. "Sirius will," she mumbled.

Though she was unsurprised by her friend's statement, Lily still felt upset by it. Sirius Black may have been an overgrown five-year-old prone to ridiculous behavior, but she knew how Brooklyn felt about him, and she'd respect that.

"You listen to me, Brooklyn," said Lily fiercely, seizing her shoulder. "Bla—_Sirius_ will not look at you as any different than you are."

"Then why won't he talk to me?" she cried, turning to face Lily.

"Oh, I don't know," she chuckled. "Maybe because you scared the hell out of him when you yelled at him? He's a boy, Brooklyn. He doesn't know how to talk to girls."

Brooklyn paused as she pondered what Lily said; it made sense. "So I should talk to him instead?" she said sheepishly.

Laughing, Lily replied, "Probably." For a second, she merely looked at Brooklyn. She had wanted to ask her about Julian, but after so many days she looked so calm that Lily couldn't bring herself to hurt her by mentioning her brother. "Do you wanna go downstairs now?" she said instead.

With an apprehensive look at the door, which suddenly looked quite menacing, Brooklyn swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Two days later, the Marauders were sitting in the kitchens, wolfing down pumpkin pasties like starving piranhas just exposed to a new piece of meat.<p>

"Brooklyn talked to me," said Sirius. He didn't know why he was grinning so widely.

Remus, however, did. "She did?" he said cautiously. "And?"

"I dunno," said Sirius, shrugging. "But it was cool."

"I see," Remus said. It was beyond obvious to him that Sirius and Brooklyn had the largest of large, the blushiest of blushy, the flutteriest of butterflies crushes on each other, but clearly the boy in front of him had no idea. Sometimes, Remus wished he didn't have a knack for picking up on these things; it did get quite frustrating to watch Sirius blabber on and on about how brilliant Brooklyn was and not be able to say anything. To solve this problem, he had decided to hint nonstop to James about this crush, because he knew that without a doubt that James would say something to Sirius right away.

"_So why do you think Sirius is so upset that Brooklyn won't talk to him?" Remus asked James, giving him a pointed look._

_Offhandedly, James shrugged a shoulder. "I dunno, probably 'cause she's, like, his friend? She's all of our friend right? And her git brother just told the world she was adopted…I guess he cares?"_

_James's obliviousness was irritating Remus to no end, but he remained calm. "So, you don't think anything's…going on…with Brooklyn and Sirius?"_

_With an odd look at Remus, James said uncertainly, "What does that mean?"_

_For a moment, Remus hesitated. Then, he said offhandedly, "You know." Eyeing James furtively, he waited for a response, hoping for the right one._

"_You mean…like…does he like her? Like, _like _like her?" _

_Silently, Remus cheered victoriously in his head. Finally. "You said it, not me." _

"What'd she say?" asked Peter, his mouth full of treacle tart.

"She just said hi. And we talked about Charms a little." Sirius looked beyond overjoyed, and Remus rolled his eyes.

"You like her!" James blurted out. Peter choked on his pastry and spat a little out; Remus smirked to himself.

"What?" cried Sirius, outraged. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You like her," James repeated. "You know. Like, _like_ like."

Quietly, so that no one could hear him, Remus groaned. Wasn't there any other phrase his friend could use?

"I do not _like _like Brooklyn!" Sirius's face was reddening.

"Yes, you do," James insisted.

With his mouth gaping, Peter was now looking back and forth between the two as if watching a tennis match. Before Sirius could respond, the kitchen door flew open and in marched Charlie Benedict and, of course, Brooklyn Terrence. If Sirius had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. In an attempt to hide his embarrassment, he turned away and seized a muffin as though strangling it and buried his face in it.

"Hey," said Charlie in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you guys here."

Brooklyn snorted, "Why not? You know who they are…"

At this, James grinned broadly. "Yes. Everyone knows who we are."

"We're the Marauders!" cried Peter, a quivering note of triumph in his voice.

"Merlin, I don't know why I bother to spend my time with these three," said Remus lightly. "How are you, Brooklyn?"

Her face fell slightly, but she put on a forced smile and replied, "I'm good, Remus. You?"

"Fine," he said, smiling and scooting over to offer her a seat. "Just waiting for the end of term."

Laughing, Charlie commented, "There's still a month left."

Returning her smile, Remus shrugged and said, "Eh. I've got to hope, haven't I?"

Despite his uncanny abilities to pick up on vibes, Remus was completely missing the jealous looks Sirius was shooting at him.

How his friend talked to girls so smoothly was beyond him. As Sirius watched the scene, it seemed to slow to the point where he could see it frame by frame—Brooklyn's gray eyes twinkling, her blonde hair bouncing and shaking with her laughs, her cheeks becoming rosy as she giggled...

Oh Merlin.

* * *

><p>It would have seemed like an uncomfortable silence, but Lily knew that sometimes, she and Severus worked best without speaking. They were practicing a potion for an upcoming assignment, but for some reason it kept turning blue when it was supposed to turn turquoise. While Lily carefully redistributed the amount of ingredient, Severus experimented with the way they added it to the cauldron.<p>

Her eyes were fixed on the Bouncing Spider Juice as she painstakingly tilted the vial of red liquid into the mortar to get no more than two drops, and Severus simply could not stop looking at her. Like her, he absolutely loved these moments where they could sit in silence and enjoy being together. There was no pressure from his friends, nor was there any interference from hers. It was just the two of them in harmony, and he wished so sorely that these moments would never end.

"There!" she cried triumphantly, presenting him with the mortar.

Shaken out of his reverie, Severus offered her a quavering smile. "All right," he said, taking it from her hands and adding the Puffer-fish eyes that he'd squished into gross looking goo. Rather than adding them to the cauldron separately, like the textbook instructed, Severus and Lily had decided to mix them together first.

"Please turn turquoise…please turn turquoise…please…" Lily chanted under her breath as Severus mixed the two ingredients together a total of seven times. He glanced up at her, amused; she always got much more passionate about Potions than he did. To him, it was an art that needed quiet and gentle care rather than exuberant emotion.

Before he added the mixture to the cauldron, the two shared an apprehensive look which turned to one of resolve, and then Severus dumped the goo into the bubbling solution. Instantly, it turned a soft turquoise color.

"Yes!" they both whispered. Pride swelled in Lily, satisfaction in Severus. Hastily, he moved to scribble annotations in his textbook: _Two drops of Spider Juice, not three, and crush the eyes before mixing them together 7 times._

"Awesome job, Sev," she said, squeezing his shoulder. He felt a flutter of nervousness spread through him.

"Thanks," he said, smiling. "You too. We'll definitely both get top marks for this one." Just like all the other ones.

"Yeah," she agreed enthusiastically. "Hopefully my friends will, too. Maybe Slughorn will make this group work, or at least partner work."

Immediately, Severus's smile faded. She had to go and bring up her friends, didn't she? "Yeah," he said sourly.

Lily noticed his drastic mood change, but she continued nonetheless. If she kept pushing her friends into Severus's life, she figured eventually he'd learn to accept and maybe even like them.

"Brooklyn's doing much better now," she said. "She still hasn't been able to write to her mum about what happened, and she hasn't talked to Julian, but she's feeling better."

"Good," said Severus shortly. He really did not care.

"Yeah, you know," said Lily in a pained voice, "I-I hope she'll be able to talk to Julian soon at least." It was clear by now that she was reaching. Though Severus knew he was upsetting her, he didn't know why she was so keen on talking about her friends. They always got between them.

He nodded and began packing up his textbook and other Potions materials. At this point, Lily was becoming desperate. "So how are your friends?" she asked.

Severus froze. Never before had Lily asked about his friends; in fact, she was quite plainly disgusted with them. "They're okay," he said uncomfortably.

"Yeah? That's good. That's good. What's, erm, Avery up to?"

This had to be the most awkward discussion they had ever had.

"Not much," said Severus, shrugging.

Lily nodded, looking for more to say, and trying to get herself to shut up. "And, er, what have you all been doing these days? I-I don't really see you around."

"Well," he said slowly, "we spend a lot of time in the Slytherin Common Room. You know, with the older students."

Surprised, Lily raised an eyebrow. "What—you mean like, Rodolphus Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Black—those ones?"

Not meeting her eye, Severus nodded. He did not want to see her frustrated expression in reaction to this.

"That's cool," she said, sounding strained. "I-I've got to go back up now. To the dormitory. Charlie's meeting me to work on Charms."

Without saying another word, she grabbed her things and scurried out of the room, leaving Severus to watch her leave despairingly.

As she stumbled into the Gryffindor common room, Lily directed her gaze so firmly at the ground that she did not notice the figure right in front of her until she had slammed roughly into him.

"Oh!" she cried, watching in distress as her books clattered to the ground.

"Oh—Lily, are you okay?" said Remus Lupin, crouching to help her gather her books together.

"Yeah…" she murmured. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Before Remus could say another word, she'd fixed her stare at the floor again and scampered up the stairs to her dormitory. When she had entered the cozy room and shut the door behind her, Lily sank to the ground with a heavy, painful sigh. For a few weeks now, she'd had lingering doubts about her friendship with Severus, but never before had it felt so real, so imposing. Her thoughts were full of him when the door creaked open and Charlie entered.

"Oh hi, Lily," she said, looking surprised to find her there. "I thought you were working with Snape?"

"Oh. Oh yeah," she murmured, still deep in contemplation.

For a moment, Charlie made to leave, but then she settled on the edge of Lily's bed and looked slightly as though she was setting foot into dark and unmarked territory.

"Lily?" she began uncertainly.

"Yeah?" said Lily, with a vague expression on her face.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Why are you friends with Snape?"

Lily stared. It couldn't have been a mere coincidence that Charlie was asking the exact same question Lily had been asking herself.

"Why do you ask?" she said, not wanting to answer her friend with a pathetic 'I don't know.'

"Well…" Charlie hesitated, sitting down next to Lily. "It just…seems like he's not, like, your type. I mean, for a friend."

"And what is my type?" Though she sounded slightly defensive, Lily could not deny that a part of her was desperate to know the answer to this question. Maybe that would help her understand what connected her and Severus together.

"People who stand by you no matter what," Charlie said quietly. She was looking at Lily unwaveringly, which made her very uncomfortable.

"Sev stands by me," Lily insisted half-heartedly.

Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"He does!" she said. "He's always there for me about, like, school or…or stuff at home…"

"If you say so," said Charlie, shrugging. "It just seems like he's only interested in you being there for him, and none of the vice versa."

"He's not," Lily said at once. "He doesn't ask for my help for _anything_. He's so independent…"

Charlie had gone silent.

"What?" Lily demanded.

"Just be careful, Lily." Her voice was compassionate, concerned, and gentle, but for some reason it riled Lily up.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she said.

"Just that Severus Snape might not turn out to be who you think he is."

And before Lily could say another word, her friend had scooped up a textbook and book bag, given Lily a feeble wave, and strode out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Please, please, please let me know how it was! I hope a new chapter will come up soon.


	18. Year Two: Magic

**A/N:** Hi guys, here's another chapter. I'm not getting much feedback for this story, so I'm not feeling super rushed to make updates. I'm officially going to put this story lower on my priorities list. Thank you to the people who are reading, but readers of my other stories seem more engaged by them (even though that might be my fault for maybe making this story boring), so I want to put more effort into getting those up quicker.

Don't worry, I'll still be working on this one!

~Maya

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Young<strong>

Magic

Although Christmas holidays were approaching, the Hogwarts teachers had been relentless, and the second years often found themselves struggling with mounds of schoolwork. Their secret trip to Hogsmeade had been so fun, they'd promised each other they'd go again, but work simply wasn't letting up. When they weren't doing homework, they were in class, struggling to understand concepts much more advanced than what they'd learned the previous year.

"Everything's gotten so hard," Peter complained in Transfiguration one morning. "Last year all we had to do was turn teaspoons into dinner forks."

"Turning snails into buttons isn't that much harder, Peter," said James, practicing flourishes with his wand.

"Not for you," Peter muttered in response, casting him a surreptitious, admiring look.

"I'm tired of this," Sirius sighed, leaning his chair back and stretching his arms behind him. "Toadstools to stones? Snails into buttons? It's boring."

"It could be more interesting," Remus admitted. "I was hoping we'd get to warm-blooded animals by now."

Looking excited, Sirius said, "Ooh! That sounds like something useful!" He and James exchanged a meaningful look. Learning about warm-blooded animals in Transfiguration would no doubt be information that could be applicable for their Animagus transformations.

Clearly out of the loop, Peter cast Remus a dark look. "I'd rather not go there just yet," he mumbled. He began practicing a few pathetic waves with his wand as the rest of the class filed in.

Giggling, Lily, Brooklyn, and Charlie passed by the Marauders' table. "Why don't you sit here, Evans?" said James hopefully, but the redhead cast him a disdainful look and settled into the seat in front of him, next to Remus.

"Today, we will attempt Transfiguring the invertebrate into an inanimate object. You will change a worm into a pin," said Professor McGonagall. "Miss Fortescue, could you please pass around the worms?"

Wrinkling her nose, Alice Fortescue, a Hufflepuff in their year, snatched the box out of Professor McGonagall's hand and hurried around the classroom, clearly trying to get the job done as quickly as possible.

"I don't think it'll be too hard," said Brooklyn, flourishing her wand exuberantly.

Alarmed, Charlie jerked out of reach of the hazardous movement. "Careful," she grumbled. "You're going to kill me with that thing."

"Sorry," she snickered.

Lily, on the other hand, was fidgeting fretfully in her seat. "I just don't know if I've really even figured out the whole snails to buttons yet. I'm definitely not ready for worms."

"Don't worry about it, Lily," scoffed Brooklyn. "You totally got the snail thing last time. I mean, the rest of us were sitting here _throwing_ our wands to get the snail to even, like, shrink a little, but nope. Mine became blue! Blue!"

"Were you thinking of a blue button?" said Remus curiously.

Brooklyn shrugged. "Who knows? But anyway, Lily got her snail to turn to a button in like, three tries."

Scowling, Lily muttered something unintelligible. Charlie and Brooklyn chuckled quietly.

"What?" said Remus, glancing back and forth between the two girls.

Eyes twinkling with amusement, Charlie leaned in and said, in hushed tones, "Lily's annoyed 'cause James and Sirius did it in one try and it took her three."

Surprised, Remus glanced at Lily, who was now determinedly practicing her wand movements before turning to her worm.

"I didn't put Lily down as the competitive type," said Remus in a low voice.

Brooklyn laughed. "Are you joking, Lupin? Lily's, like, the _emblem_ of competitive. I swear, part of the reason she hates James and Sirius so much is that they're so good at magic."

"I can hear you, you know," said Lily curtly, staring fixedly at her worm.

Brooklyn and Charlie laughed easily and turned to their worms, but Remus shot Lily an apologetic look. She was clearly struggling with the assignment.

"See, you do it like this," he explained, reaching with his own wand hand to demonstrate. "See? It's just a sharp flick. Yours is kind of…too gentle."

"You think so?" said Lily, her brow furrowing as she followed Remus's instructions and muttered the incantation. Immediately, her worm turned to a pin.

"There!" he cried triumphantly. "Good job, Lily!"

"Oh my God, I did it!" she squeaked. "Thank you, Remus!"

From behind them, James scowled as she beamed at Remus.

"Very good, Miss Evans and Mr. Lupin," said Professor McGonagall approvingly as she walked past them. "Twenty points to Gryffindor."

The two of them beamed up at her.

"Of course," she continued, "it does not stop there. Once you start transfiguring more complex creatures, the wand movements, incantation, and determination must change as well."

She left them with that, letting their smiles fade into frowns of trepidation.

"Way to stomp on a moment and squish it dead," Brooklyn snorted, slashing her wand in frustration. Her sickly green worm turned a bright orange. She groaned.

* * *

><p>After Transfiguration, Charlie had to hurry away to the bathroom on the next floor up, and Lily and Brooklyn made their way to the Great Hall for lunch.<p>

"So have you thought about…you know, Julian?" said Lily.

Brooklyn sniffed and turned away. "What do you mean?" she said monotonously.

"You know what I mean," said Lily patiently.

"Well…I guess I've thought about it, yeah," said Brooklyn, nodding.

"And?" Lily urged.

"I want to talk to him," she said quietly. "It's easy to, like, envision it. It's the actually doing part that's hard."

"Yeah." Lily knew how it felt to think about Petunia; sometimes it was as though they would never make up, and other times she missed her so much she could go back to being normal with her in a second.

"Oh—no—" Brooklyn had strode directly into a student, sending the books from both of their arms toppling.

"Sorry, sorry!" she said, hastening to pick them up.

"Yes, Mudblood, you should be sorry. Pick them up like your kind should," said a nasty voice.

Slowly, Brooklyn got to her feet and looked into the loathsome face of Bellatrix Black. She was standing with her arms crossed haughtily over her ample chest, surrounded by puffed-up boys who were looking on in amusement.

"I would've picked them up for you," she said stonily. "But I don't _serve_ people who don't treat me like a person."

"You deserve to be treated like vermin, Mudblood," she said. "It's what you are."

"Just leave her alone," hissed Lily, drawing her wand.

Incredulously, Bellatrix cackled, "You think you can defend her? You, a Mudblood yourself!"

"It doesn't take blood status to defend your friends, or what's right," said Lily coldly.

"All right, _Mudblood_," she spat, drawing her own, unusually long wand. The unpleasant leer still had not left her face.

"Lily," Brooklyn whispered. "Don't."

"Shut up," said Lily through gritted teeth.

"Would you like to make the first move?" asked Bellatrix mockingly. The boys flocking her laughed. Lucius Malfoy smirked and straightened his Slytherin tie. For some reason, it irked Lily that they were merely watching rather than rushing to their comrade's aid.

"Why don't you?" she shot back. "You and your pureblood supremacist mania started all the problems in the first place. Let's make it symbolic, why don't we?"

All traces of a smirk gone, Bellatrix snarled, "It's your dirty blood that started this. We were living in peace before your _corrupted_ kind started coming into our world. But why not? I'll teach you your place—"

"Merlin—_Furnunculus!_" shouted a voice from behind them.

The spell only missed Bellatrix by a millimeter—she had dodged and slashed her wand with a Shield Charm in the last instant. Seething, she whirled around to see who had attacked her.

Standing tall, but slightly breathless, his wand clutched tightly in his hand and pointing directly at his cousin, was Sirius. Lily's mouth fell open slightly in shock. Beside her, Brooklyn was holding her breath and staring at Sirius as if willing him to step away.

"Hello, _cousin_," Bellatrix sneered, turning to face him.

"Leave them alone. You have no need to start a fight with them," Sirius said.

"Auntie is worried about you," she taunted, ignoring his words. "She's been asking more and more frequently in her letters. You don't seem to be responding to any of hers."

"Why would I?" he snapped. "I've got no interest in what she has to say, and the same goes for you. Now get out of my face."

He made his way back down the corridor, gesturing for Lily and Brooklyn to follow.

"Wait until you get home," Bellatrix called after him. "You'll really get what's coming to you then!"

For a moment, fear turned his blood to ice. Home had never been pleasant, but Sirius had no idea what it would be like now that he was becoming less and less of a Black. Brooklyn shook him out of his momentary reverie.

"Come on, Sirius," she said sharply.

Numbly, he nodded, and left Bellatrix and her laughing crew behind them.

* * *

><p>"Calm down, Brooklyn," said Lily while poring over her Charms essay. They had decided to skip lunch in the Great Hall so as to avoid Bellatrix and the rest of the Slytherins.<p>

"I really can't believe he did that," Brooklyn said for the millionth time. "She's his cousin."

"Obviously, he doesn't want her to be his cousin," scoffed Lily. "I mean, seriously. He's not an evil person."

Brooklyn cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said about Sirius."

"And don't get used to it," said Lily harshly.

With a sigh, Brooklyn said, "Come on, Lily. He, like, totally swooped in and saved the day and stuff. Don't you think you could, oh, I dunno, be a little grateful?"

Grudgingly, Lily nodded. "But…I dunno…I can't just _forgive_ him for being a prat all the time. Not just to me, but to, like, first years and the so-called 'uncool' people. You don't get to earn that forgiveness from a one-time thing."

"True," said Brooklyn softly. "But still. You've got to admit that was impressive."

Just then, Charlie burst through the dormitory doors, panting as though she had just run miles to get away from a terrifying monster.

"What the HELL?!" she demanded instantly.

"What are you talking about?" said Brooklyn, alarmed. She'd never seen Charlie frenzied about anything.

"Sirius. You. Second floor. _Bellatrix_. WANDS?" she cried between breaths.

Brooklyn and Lily burst out laughing, and laughed even harder when Charlie stamped her foot in protest.

"Yes, yes," said Brooklyn, clutching her side. "Sirius, me, second floor, Bellatrix, and wands indeed."

"Tell me how it happened," she demanded.

"Brooklyn bumped into the crazy girl, she started making comments about blood status, I pulled out my wand—"

"WHAT!"

"Let me finish," said Lily patiently.

"Sorry."

"I pulled out my wand—"

"Sorry, I still can't get over that. WHAT?!"

Rolling her eyes, Lily continued, "And then out of nowhere, Black came in and threw a hex at Bellatrix, but missed, and they just snapped at each other for a bit, then we left." She paused. "I'm sure Hogwarts students are making it seem like a much bigger deal than it actually was."

"They are!" cried Charlie, looking disappointed. "It was all over the Great Hall! People said you, Brooklyn, and Sirius dueled with Bellatrix and her posse. I was so excited!"

"It wasn't eventful," said Lily, shrugging, and she turned back to her essay.

"Yeah, but it was _so_ impressive," sighed Brooklyn, gazing out the window by her bed. She could see the Quidditch Pitch in the distance, and had a brief vision of how Sirius looked on a broom.

Charlie giggled.

"What?" said Brooklyn defensively.

"You so like him," said Charlie, still giggling.

"Well…so what?" said Brooklyn, blushing. "He's…he's…"

"Aww, look at her," Charlie teased. "Can't even find the words for how _amazing_ he is."

"Well…I dunno," she said. "I mean…he is, isn't he?"

"Ew," said Charlie, wrinkling her nose. "I didn't think that by teasing you, I'd end up having to _talk_ about your mushy feelings. You keep that to yourself."

Laughing, Brooklyn threw a pillow at her. "I'm just saying," she said, returning to staring out the window. "He's amazing."

* * *

><p>The Great Hall ceiling had begun to look quite gloomy as winter enveloped them. For some reason, Sirius had taken it upon himself to mimic its miserable mood; he'd spent the last week or so scowling.<p>

Finally, one morning when James and Sirius were poring over library books from the Restricted Section on information about becoming Animagi (they had decided Peter would be no help in this, so they assigned him the easier job of distracting Remus), James finally put his foot down.

"All right, _what?!_" he demanded after Sirius's most obnoxious melancholy sigh yet.

"What?" Sirius said innocently, flipping to the next page of his book.

"You know what I'm talking about," said James impatiently.

"I actually don't," Sirius replied, a hint of coolness in his voice. He still hadn't looked up from his book.

"Just shut up and _tell me_, Sirius. No one else is here," he said irritably, snatching Sirius's book away from him and ignoring his protests.

Sirius tutted loudly and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring in another direction and refusing to speak. James, however, did not allow himself to be goaded into pleading, stayed silent as well, eyebrows raised pointedly. After several moments, the bespectacled boy won.

"Fine!" said Sirius loudly. "I'll tell you." He withdrew a crumpled piece of parchment from the inside of his robes and threw it angrily across the desk at James.

"Is this another letter from your mum?" asked James shrewdly, picking it up and un-crumpling it.

_My son,_

_The latest letter from your cousin Narcissa was most worrisome. Though she insists that your actions merely represent a "rebellious phase," the lack of letters from you makes me doubt her thoughts. According to her, you came to the defense of a Mudblood girl who was being taught her place by older, wiser purebloods. She neglected to tell me who the girl was, but I hope very strongly that it was not that Terrence girl. Sirius, you need to understand the disgracefulness of your actions. If you are unwilling to change your new lifestyle for yourself and your own honor, think of Regulus, who will be attending Hogwarts next year. How will he react to this example you set for him? Do you also wish to taint his honor? I and your father fear that your thoughts will poison Regulus, and so we have asked the Headmaster to keep you at Hogwarts over the Christmas holiday so as to give you time to reflect on your unwholesome behavior. Remember, _toujours pur_. –Your mother_

"Disgusting," said James, throwing the letter back to the table in contempt. "At least you don't have to go home for Christmas. I can't see why she thinks that's a punishment."

Sirius felt a pang of sorrow and guilt. He knew James would only ever see his family as disgusting, and after everything he'd seen and done at Hogwarts so far, he should too. Unfortunately, it wasn't so easy.

"Yeah," he murmured, looking back down to the book. "Hey…"

"What?" said James, looking up immediately.

"I might've found something…"

Seizing the book by its corner, James turned it so that he could read the passage Sirius was ogling at.

"'_The Animagus Process is a long and arduous one, requiring very advanced non-verbal and wandless magic, which in itself is more than difficult for the most accomplished wizards…'_ hey, that's new!" cried James. "That's something we can start with! Practicing non-verbal and wandless spells!"

"Keep reading," Sirius urged.

"'…_most complete Animagi assert that mere skill is not enough. Talent, will, and sheer strength in emotion are equally as important…must have a clear understanding of the purpose and history of the incantation so as to truly 'mean' it when it is performed…' _bloody hell." James whistled lowly.

"It's too bad they don't actually _have_ the incantation," said Sirius testily. "It would've made it, oh, I dunno, a _tad_ easier to research its history."

"Yeah," James agreed with a sigh. "But we've got something, don't we? We know we need to practice non-verbal and wandless spells! And we know that when it comes to the er…what was it? Oh yeah, 'talent, will, and strength in emotion,' we're all set!"

Slowly, Sirius nodded. "Yeah, you're actually right. That's a lot further than we've ever got with this stupid stuff before. At least we can actually _do_ something now."

"Yeah!" he said enthusiastically. "All right. Let's start practicing right now. Here, I'm going to do the _Furnunculus_ charm, okay? Okay. Here we go." James screwed up his face in concentration and stared at Sirius, who promptly burst out laughing.

"You look constipated, mate," he chortled.

"What? I do not!" he said defiantly.

Shrugging, Sirius replied, "Whatever you say, mate."

"I don't!" James insisted.

Sirius merely smirked and continued flipping the pages of his book.

"Well, why don't _you_ try, then?" he demanded, looking at him expectantly.

"Okay," said Sirius. He drew his wand, looked directly into James's face, wiped his mind clear, and thought _Expelliarmus!_ as firmly as he could.

James's wand twitched. He glanced down at it, and then back up at Sirius, eyes full of wonder.

"Did-did you just do that?" he asked in a hushed voice.

Though he had been trying to keep his cool before this, Sirius could not suppress his excitement in this moment. "I-I think so!" he said, nearly squealing. "I-I dunno how I did it…I just tried _Expelliarmus_…"

"Bloody Merlin, let's get the hell out of this library and get you practicing this! We can probably get you to do it before Herbology!" cried James, slamming his book shut and jumping to his feet.

Sirius followed suit, and they hurried out of the library to find the nearest empty classroom, new hope running through their veins.

* * *

><p>They practiced for an hour, and finally Sirius was able to successfully Disarm James four times in a row without uttering a word. By now, he'd managed to control his excitement and was now patiently explaining to James how to master his mind enough to do so.<p>

"You've just got to start simple," he said for the hundredth time.

"I'm trying," said James, his forehead shining with sweat from the mere effort of focusing so hard.

"How about the Levitating Charm on something tiny?" Sirius suggested, casting his eyes around for an object that would work. He spotted a feather quill lying on the floor. "Here."

James eyed the quill apprehensively before raising his wand, letting out a slow breath, and desperately thought the words _Wingardium Leviosa!_ Nothing happened.

"Dammit," he hissed, and sank into the nearest chair with his head in his hands.

Though he couldn't explain why, Sirius was equally as frustrated that James was struggling so much. Carefully, he moved around the table to take a seat next to his best friend.

"When I did it," he said slowly, "I didn't _think_ the spell. I sort of…felt it go through me. Like it was a part of…well, like it was inside me, going through my arm and down my wand. I guess it's sort of how it happens when you actually do say the spell, but more intense, because you're focusing on that more than saying the words right."

Curiously, James looked at him. "You really get magic."

Sirius couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. "I didn't know I did before now."

Taking in a breath, James nodded to himself as though he were encouraging himself. "I can do this," he murmured, and he stood up and faced the feather quill. Instead of forcing concentration this time, he allowed his face and body to relax completely, trying to feel nothing but the magic. Thinking about Sirius's words, he tried to _feel _the _Wingardium Leviosa_, rather than think the exact incantation. An odd yet friendly warmth seemed to pass through his fingertips and his wand, and the quill rose an inch above the desk.

"OH MY—I DID IT!" he shouted, and the quill promptly dropped back down.

"YOU DID!" Sirius exclaimed, punching the air victoriously.

He turned to Sirius with a wide smile. "Thanks, mate!" he said enthusiastically. "Really, thanks."

With a grin, Sirius replied, "No problem."

They gave each other a high-five, and immediately returned to the quill to continue practicing, completely blowing off Herbology.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I really enjoyed writing the scenes between James and Sirius - they are definitely my favorite Marauder Era characters, and my BRO-TP. If you want updates quicker, and want me to keep this story going, please please please let me know, because I'm not getting any indication that I should be working harder on this.

~Maya


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